Another Night, Another Dream
by Ms. SpearBourne
Summary: An anthology of vignettes and ficlets set in the world of wrestling, primarily within WWE. KAYFABE. Rated M for themes, language, mild violence, situations.
1. Another Night, Another Dream

_**I wrote this vignette in June 2011 and have it up on my fanfic site. The ambiguity is intentional.  
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Another night, another dream, but always you; it's like a vision of love that seems to be true . . .

She played that song by Real McCoy every morning after he'd left her side. She knew she shouldn't love him, but her heart . . . her heart just wouldn't listen to reason. He had always been honest with her about the situation; he'd never given her any cause to believe that this would be anything more than a . . . a dalliance, a fling.

He had made it perfectly clear from the beginning that he would never leave his wife. Lola could lay no blame at his feet. Not that she would have blamed him for any of her own feelings. She couldn't help falling in love with him. And, no matter how many times she told herself that she should put a stop to their affair, whenever he showed up at her door, she could deny him nothing.

One word, one glance from him was all it took to melt away her resolve and let him take her in his arms again. The feel of those strong arms around her was all that kept her standing when he made her knees so weak.

"Lola," he would growl into her neck as his hands explored her curves.

"Unf," was all she could manage to utter before his lips were on hers. His mouth always claimed hers with such urgency, as though he couldn't get enough of her at once. But, in the back of Lola's mind, she reminded herself that the urgency was only due to time constraints. There was only so much time he could afford to give her, and she could never be out of reach for certain people for very long, either.

They had managed to keep their "relationship" a secret for months, and, even more astounding to her, no one employed by World Wrestling Entertainment knew who she really was.

She shook herself free of the memory of the previous evening and recalled the afternoon that someone had walked in on one of their trysts. She chuckled now at the expression he'd had on his face when he'd caught her in flagrante delicto!

And that person's contract with WWE would expire soon. She had made sure he would never reveal what he knew about her and her lover. He had his own reasons for not trying to use that information to his advantage, but all three were well aware that either of the other two could so easily turn on them.

_**A/N: Any wrestling-related fic I compose and may post to this site in the future is purely kayfabe (as in, I only use their ring names, the storylines are "real", et cetera).  
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_**Disclaimer: WWE and any related characters and entities are the property of Titan Sports. I make no money from this fanfic and write it solely for my own amusement. The character of "Lola" is a mere figment of my imagination and, while she shares the name of the author, any similarity to any other person, either living or dead, is purely coincidental. Events presented herein are fictitious.**_


	2. C O N spiracy?

_**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; _**while it is based on certain events that happened on Raw during the summer of 2011, this has no basis in real events**_. I am most certainly not the person who was sabotaging HHH's time as Raw General Manager, and I am not the power controlling the Board of Directors of WWE . . . No matter what some others may say . . .**_

* * *

><p><em>Though theirs was a love to rival -<em>

No, that wasn't right. She deleted what she had typed. How was she supposed to be able to write about true love when she'd never experienced it? She truly loved the man she was involved with, that was true, but how could that be considered a true love when a secret it had to remain?

Lola sighed and stepped away from her computer. She poured herself another cup of coffee. The words were there, in her head, along with the story she wanted to tell, but she just couldn't figure out how to . . . put them in order. There had to be some way for her to get past this block! And she had to do it soon, as there wasn't much time before Vince would be in New York again. With Linda off on the campaign trail, he had more free time and less need to come up with an alibi to the other members of the board.

The sudden, insistent knock at the door startled her, making her spill coffee on the front of her blouse. Could this day get any worse?

Of course it could.

"Hey, Lola," a familiar voice drawled when she opened the door.

Punk. She had not been expecting to see him today. And she certainly hadn't expected to see him so casually leaning against the frame of her front door that way.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he prompted.

She glared at him darkly as she stepped aside so he could enter her living room. She didn't have time for this. "I was actually busy working, Punk, so whatever it is you have to say to me, please, keep it short."

"Now, now, Lola," he grinned as he made himself comfortable on her couch. "Is that any way to treat your next champion?"

"Ch-?" she started.

"Oh, you don't honestly think Cena's going to beat me, do you?" he winked.

Had he really come here to make demands? Again? "What do you care about the championship? You're leaving, remember? Coffee?"

He nodded. "Yes, thank you. And you know I'll sign that contract you had drawn up. I just want to scare the jeebus out of some people for now. It's, uh, it's kinda fun to read what people are saying on Twitter about all this. And getting to tell off all the corporate bigwigs has its appeal, too."

"Hmm," was all she could utter as she handed him a cup of coffee. After clearing her throat - How had it gotten so stuffy in her house all of a sudden? - she asked him why he had come here.

"I . . . just want to make sure you're not going to try to reneg on our deal," he replied thoughtfully.

She took a deep breath. "It might appear that way in Chicago," she admitted. "Vince and John Laurinaitis will be there. Vince is going to make it look like he wants to replicate Montreal." She pursed her lips tightly. She didn't feel it was yet time to reveal the extent of what she had planned.

"Cena will never want to be a part of that," he murmured.

"I know. It's part of a bigger setup," she remarked cryptically.

"Setup? Who's being set up?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"The fewer people that know about this - for now - the better. You just fulfil your end of our bargain. When the time comes, I'll tell you the rest. Have a little patience." She gave him that smile that gave him the creeps.

"And faith," he added. "So, should I be ready to screw someone over after my contract '_expires'?_" He liked to mess with people when the opportunity presented itself.

"Let's just say . . ." she began slowly. "There's someone who needs to be taught a lesson. He . . . Well, he thinks he's going to take over, but plans are already in place to crush his oversized ego. We're really going to shake things up," she concluded with a wink.

He chuckled conspiratorially before draining his coffee. "How many other people know who you really are?" he asked for the hundredth time since he'd met her.

"You mean, besides people I'm actually related to? Just you and Vince. I rather like my anonymity. Besides, can you imagine what would happen if everyone knew the real reason you were brought back to Monday Night Raw?"


	3. Whatever Lola Wants

**Whatever Lola Wants . . .**

It was a day Lola would never forget, no matter how much she wanted to. In all the time that had passed, she still couldn't erase that image from her mind. And so she allowed herself to relive that moment, wondering what she might have done differently that afternoon and how much could've been changed . . .

_Things had been going well between her and Alberto, or so she'd thought. And she'd warned him, hadn't she? Hadn't she told him that if he ever crossed her, he'd have her family to contend with? Surely, he'd been aware of that when he'd decided to-_

_No, she refused to think of _that _now. She took a deep breath and went to find her father. He was the one man she knew she could always count on. Lola stopped in the dimly lit hallway to steady herself. She still couldn't believe what she'd seen!_

_She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes to try to block out the image of her boyfriend - _ex_-boyfriend, she thought ruefully - kissing another girl. Part of her wished she hadn't come to surprise him at the arena before the show had started. A lone tear made its way halfway down her cheek before she felt a firm hand wipe it way. She sniffled, then she opened her eyes to see her father's concerned face._

_"What happened?" he demanded._

_She shook her head, speechless, too overcome with the sting of betrayal to tell him. She let out a shaky breath. "He . . . Alberto . . ." She hiccuped back a sob._

_The Rated R Superstar was livid. He began raking his fingers through his hair, all manner of things coursing through his mind. What could that arrogant bastard have done to his little girl that would make her cry? And what would he do to him once he found him?_

_"Dad? Dad! Calm down! He was just kissing someone else. It's not like he slapped me or anything. Although . . ."_

_"He may as well have?" He remembered that feeling himself. "Did he tell you he was cheating?"_

_"No. I caught them." With that admission, another tear eked its way down her face. "I thought . . . I thought he really liked me, but . . . I guess I wasn't -"_

_"No. No! Don't do this to yourself! He was never . . . He was never good enough for you. I -" He clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say "_told you that_." He was not going to make her feel worse than she already did._

_"I know, I know, Dad," she huffed. "You told me he was no good for me . . . He's arrogant, he's narcissistic . . ." She shook her head. Edge had always had her best interests at heart, his advice to her had always been sound, so why hadn't she listened to him? "Maybe I had to see it for myself to believe he is _exactly _as he acts in the ring."_

Bringing herself back to the present, she wondered yet again why she hadn't heeded her father's advice. Why had she gone on that first date with Alberto? If she hadn't, maybe things would be different now. Maybe she could have found someone decent.

And maybe she wouldn't have wound up running Monday Night Raw.

In the days that followed The Betrayal, Vince had been the one to comfort her while Edge and Christian competed. He'd been so attentive and caring and, to get her mind off of her shambles of a love life, he'd asked her opinion about Raw. He'd even let her schedule a few matches. It had seemed a natural progression to him to officially appoint her General Manager of Monday Night Raw and keep her anonymous to protect her.

'_And now Hunter's trying to stage a coup,'_ she thought coldly. She would let him think he'd won before reality came cruelly crashing down around him.


	4. Lola Ponders

Lola sat at her desk, pondering the past few months. Hunter had ousted Vince, John Laurinaitis had been named interim general manager of Monday Night Raw, and she had - well, what she was doing now was virtually the same as what she had been doing for the past couple of years.

She was still the one pulling the strings, and very few even knew of her existence. Her twitter feed was such that many took her to be someone who was only _pretending _to be the real power behind the WWE.

If only they knew the truth about her . . . but her continued anonymity was crucial. She couldn't risk being attacked as the Hitman had been while he was Raw GM.

The Nexus had been ruthless in those days. They had attacked Vince even _after_ she had agreed to hire all of the Season 1 NXT rookies. He hadn't been the same after that. Pretending he was in a coma for months had been her idea; she couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt again.

Once Punk had managed to oust Wade Barrett and distract the Nexus from attacking everyone who wasn't a member, things only seemed as though they were safer.

She sighed at the thought that she might never really be safe.

And "feuding" with her own father? Edge had been all too willing to go along with that. She couldn't help but chuckle as she thought back to the time he had demolished the laptop. That had been such a great moment that it won a Slammy for best meltdown of the year.

Those had been fun times for her, having a direct say in matches during Raw shows. Now, she had to settle for relaying her wishes to the board of directors. Even the other members of the board didn't know her face. All they knew was that she was the majority stockholder now and the woman in charge.

When it had become apparent that her lover's son-in-law was soon to stage a coup, she moved quickly. The board had allowed Triple H to believe they were loyal to him, as had Johnny, whose loyalty was never in question.

It had been almost too easy.

Lola knew, however, that her hold was still tenuous, and that power could still be stripped from her. Vince could one day cast her aside as he had cast other women aside. Hell, he could wind up going back to his wife.

But she didn't want to think about _that _issue just yet. She had to make sure that John Laurinaitis remained with the company as her devoted puppet. The board would simply have to accept that.

Perhaps it was time that Hunter was humbled again. And if the Undertaker wasn't enough anymore, she had an idea who had enough attitude that he would be.

This year's WrestleMania was going to be one that _no one_ would ever forget. Promoting the Rock versus John Cena to the point of exclusion of any other match was irritating to most people, as she had seen on social networks. That was exactly what she wanted. She would let everyone think WM28 would be utterly forgettable save for that one match that had been announced a year earlier, but, in reality, she was working on scheduling matches that would be even better.

With the Elimination Chamber approaching, she knew she would need to find a safe place from which to watch the event. Being backstage was a possibility, albeit with some risk. Still, the thought of not having to text Laurinaitis every five minutes had its appeal.

There were some things that were simply better done in person.


	5. McPlotting

Vince McMahon gazed at the much younger woman lying beside him. She was so different from Linda! And yet, he found he loved them both, just in different ways. Linda had helped him build an empire, but Lola had helped him _preserve_ it. The clouds parted so moonlight caressed her features. Even in her sleep, she could manage a smile for him.

'_Hm,'_ he thought to himself. Lola had managed to make business decisions without letting her emotions influence her. He'd never seen anyone do that, even himself. She had wrought changes that some felt were predictable, but other changes had been completely out of the blue. She'd manipulated Laurinaitis into screwing with Hunter, she'd connived with CM Punk to fool the entire WWE universe into believing he had actually been leaving last summer, _and_ she had convinced Chris Jericho to return and start a feud with Punk.

Just how many people had she turned against each other in the last few years?

She pulled so many strings, it was no wonder she was called _The PuppetMistress_ . . . He had a feeling everyone had been manipulated by her at some point.

Then, with startling clarity, he realised that he, too, had danced according to her whims. She had him wrapped around her perfectly manicured little finger. He wondered what was truth and what was just part of her ploy.

* * *

><p>"I am not pleased, Punk," Lola remarked with a sigh. "Christian has been out long enough due to injury. Why'd you have to go and attack him like that?" She scrutinised his face, hoping to see some remorse in his eyes.<p>

"We had a match," he responded nonchalantly. "He wound up getting hurt." He added an all too casual shrug, as though it absolved him of any blame.

She shook her head. "I know Jericho pissed you off with all the things he's said about your fam-"

"The _lies_ he's told about my family!"

She held up a hand and inclined her head. "And you're understandably upset. But did you really have to send Jericho a message by beating up my uncle? That's what A-" She stopped herself. There was no way she was going to admit who Punk reminded her of at the moment.

He glared across the table at her, lips pursed. He had known exactly what he had been doing. "That was as much a message to _you_ as it was to Jericho."

"Oh? Are you going to attack me, too?" she asked in monotone, one eyebrow raised as though to test him.

"No, of course not. I would never hit a woman. You know that. You saw what I said on twitter. But, you remember this: I _am_ the WWE Champion, and, as long as I am, I'm happy. As long as I'm _happy_, I don't say anything about what I know about _you_." And he knew even more than she could imagine.

The look she gave him at that moment terrified him more than he cared to admit. Something in her eyes spoke of a rage the likes of which no one wanted to be on the receiving end of.

She really was her father's daughter.

* * *

><p>John Laurinaitis was just finishing up a phone call when Lola sauntered into his office. Once the door had closed behind her, her entire demeanor changed. She sat down and looked up at him with worry in her eyes.<p>

"Oh, my God, what's happened? What's wrong?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "John, I'm afraid someone knows," she whispered.


	6. You Think You Know

"What? What do you mean you think someone _knows_? How could anyone have any idea? No one that knows would tell anyone! That wouldn't get any of them what they want. They'd lose any leverage they had by outing you!" John words were running together in his panic. He began pacing.

Lola remained seated and looked up at him blankly. She had no choice but to tell him more. Otherwise, he might accidentally let some secrets loose. He needed to know who knew what. Perhaps it was time that all her puppets who knew they were puppets found out where the other puppets stood. "Jericho's known for a while. Since I was still Raw GM. He wasn't lying about that. Punk . . . found out. You already knew that. But I've been getting strange text messages lately that don't sound like either of them. Or like anybody else I know. Whoever it is," she swallowed to steady her voice. "Whoever it is has been claiming to have . . . proof."

He stopped pacing to stare at her. "Proof? What does that mean? What kind of proof?" A part of him wanted to see this "proof", if for no other reason than to satisfy a bizarre curiosity he had about what made Vince so desirable to a woman like her.

"Your guess is as good as mine. There was a mention of photos, but that's impossible. We always make sure to have security sweep the rooms for any bugs. This person makes cryptic remarks, though, referencing phrases I and others have said in the past. Here, I'll show you." She retrieved her BlackBerry from her pocket and brought up the saved messages.

_I know how you got your job running things. Shall I tell the world? Those photos I have of the two of you could be front page news. Best seller, even.  
><em>

_I know you've got the crazy eyes. They'll all see soon, lil one. I can bring out the worst in you. You'll never be prepared for what I'll do.  
><em>

_If_ I_ hold up a televised show by making snow angels in the ring, can I have a title match, too? I'd make a better champion than any you have in your cute little pocket.  
><em>

_You're neither mister nor misses general manager, more like the mistress._

_Why the hate? You'll give in when I make my demands._

John scoffed. "This - this could just be Jericho trying to play a trick on you. He's just trying to rattle you before WrestleMania so you won't help Punk."

"I thought of that, John. I get these messages even when I'm with Chris." She shook her head. A part of her wished that this mystery person would come out and make his or her demands in person instead of screwing with her this way. Even being revealed as the true power would be preferable to this uncertainty. "I think it's someone who's no longer with WWE. Maybe a disgruntled wrestler who was fired. Or someone who wants to return. I just can't imagine how anyone could have gotten my number and email address!"

He nodded. "I'll, uh, talk to some of the talent, see if they've heard anything about someone holding a grudge."

She ran her fingers through her dark hair before standing. "Thank you, Johnny. Just don't ruffle any feathers, hm? We don't need anyone contriving a reason to start a real feud with you." she cautioned before strolling out the door.

* * *

><p>Nearly all of the wrestlers were milling about with the fans who had come out for WrestleMania Axxess, an entire week of events leading up to the show of shows. Lola could wander about with little worry that anyone but those who actually knew her and the most observant of fans would recognise her as she was. She appeared to be just another girl there for the show and to meet some wrestlers and buy some memorabilia.<p>

CM Punk knew better than to speak to her in public. He might make his threats, but he'd protect her secrets. Opening his mouth would guarantee that he got nothing of what he really wanted. When he noticed her in a baseball cap, tank top, and jeans, he knew it meant she didn't _want_ to be noticed. He couldn't help but worry about her walking around out there alone, even though he himself had shown her some moves so she could defend herself.

Drew McIntyre sidled up to her, despite the throng of young women who had congregated around him. Punk was well aware that Vince had asked him to look out for her in situations such as this, and this wasn't the first time the "Chosen One" had gone out of his way to keep an eye on her.

Though he surmised it were part of her act, there was something about the way she gazed up at the Scotsman that irked him.

* * *

><p>"How was Axxess?" Vince asked casually.<p>

"Crowded," Lola replied with a wink. "It was fun. Lots of people happy to be there." She donned the new nightgown Vince had brought her; the cotton fabric felt wonderful against her skin. "How long before you need to meet your kids for dinner?"

"About an hour."

'_Just enough time for you to freshen up,'_ she thought wistfully. She crept up behind him on the bed and helped him undress, savouring the feel of his skin and the firmness of the muscles underneath. She planted a kiss on his neck, just below his ear, and inhaled his scent. She couldn't seem to get enough of him.

He sighed as he sank back into her embrace and moaned. "I won't be able to come back until pretty late, but I'll be here." He reached up behind him to caress her still-damp hair. "You have me wrapped around your lil finger, Lola," he murmured.

She gasped, her arms tensing around his chest. _Lil._ Had he been the one sending those strange messages? Or had she simply heard him wrong? She tightened her embrace. "It's _you_ who has me in the palm of your hand," she whispered back.

* * *

><p>He had been right; Vince didn't get in until three in the morning, by which time she was already asleep. He studied her features, wondering what she might be dreaming about. She looked as though something were weighing on her mind, even as she slept. It could be nothing more than a bad dream, he told himself. He thought about checking her computer or her phone, then decided that, if it were important, she would tell him.<p>

* * *

><p>Punk couldn't sleep, so he reached for his phone and looked at what people were tweeting about. He would either be amused or bored, but anything was better than staring up at the ceiling until sunrise. He made his way to Lola's timeline and smiled. She was a tricky one, more than most he'd ever known, and it was virtually impossible to know when she was being honest or just pulling your leg. The few things that he knew to be true about her sounded so outlandish that no one else believed her when she mentioned them.<p>

'_They think she's joking when she's honest, and truthful when she's lying,'_ he smirked. _'She could have them believing anything she wants. Even that she's not who she actually is.'_

For a moment, he wondered what might happen if he posted a tweet only she would understand, then realised she probably wouldn't see it for days. With WrestleMania rapidly approaching, she likely had someone else tweeting in her stead, anyway.

* * *

><p>Lola awoke well before dawn. She had emails to send before the day began. She rubbed her temples as she rose, then dialled room service. With everything going on throughout the weekend, she didn't know when she'd be able to have another proper meal.<p>

After a hot shower and breakfast, she went to her laptop and began scrolling through her messages. Some could be replied to later, but a few were urgent. There was one, however, that had the colour drain from her face.

_It's almost time. Are you ready for your world to end?_

Vince awoke just in time to see her trying to catch her breath. He rushed to her side. She pointed a quivering finger at the message on her computer screen. "Jericho's sending you emails?" he asked, bemused.

"It's not Jericho. I've gotten text messages like this even when he's standing right next to me."

"Punk?"

She shook her head. "He makes his threats, but protecting our secrets ensures that he gets what he wants; if he broke his silence, he wouldn't have anything left to bargain with. Same goes for Jericho. Laurinaitis was going to ask around a bit, see if anyone's heard anything about a disgruntled ex-employee."

"Hmm" was all Vince could think to say. There certainly were ample candidates to have a grudge, but how many of them actually knew about her to make those kinds of threats? Who would want to see her so upset?

After Vince left to oversee the morning's events, Lola covered her dark hair with a honey blonde wig and a paisley scarf. She hid her eyes behind a pair of round white sunglasses with moderately tinted lenses. It was just enough of a change to keep her from being immediately recognised.

She thought over the matches that had been announced. Hunter was facing the Undertaker, with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee, meaning The Iron Sheik didn't have to challenge the would-be COO, as she had had as a back-up plan. Drew McIntyre had taken Christian's place on Team Johnny not long after the Miz had joined them - and she absolutely _had_ to watch the match between Team Johnny and Team Teddy; it simply wouldn't do if Theodore Long were running Monday Night Raw. No, she might have to contrive a way to get his team disqualified. She had confidence in the team Laurinaitis had put together, but she didn't like to take chances on certain things.

Or perhaps allowing Theodore's team to win would throw everyone for a loop. After the things she'd said on twitter, that would certainly be unexpected. She reached for her phone and made a call.

She needed her puppets in place. And the Board of Directors knew that. She only had to decide which string to pull at just the right moment. It just might be time for a few things to begin unravelling.


	7. Believing Is Not Knowing

"Johnny, you won. You are now the general manager of both Raw and SmackDown. There's no more 'interim' attached to the title. And I want to congratulate you again on that. But there is no need for you to be so pompous about your team's victory at WrestleMania. A little pride is one thing, but you're going a little overboard. Give Teddy Long a chance to stick around and make himself useful." Lola tilted her head and gave Laurinaitis that steely look that said she was not in the mood for jokes.

Laurinaitis cleared his throat uneasily. How a woman half his size and age managed to intimidate him, he still didn't know. But he certainly wasn't about to test her patience. He merely nodded his head.

"Good. You, uh, could have some fun with being his boss, you know." There was that evil glint in her eye again. It was the same expression she'd had when she had planted the idea that Wade Barrett should make John Cena a member of the Nexus.

A smile slowly spread across his face. Was she actually giving him license to torment his defeated rival? She certainly did like to see people who had defied her get what they had coming to them."You . . . have more planned, don't you?" He held up his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. You'll reveal your plans when the time comes. Until now, I should do as I'm told."

* * *

><p>A pair of hands snaked toward an often-used computer keyboard, paused, flexed twice, then began typing at a furious pace. This email was certainly going to set her on edge. It might even make her panic a little and slip up. A sly grin spread upon a face lit only by the glow of the computer screen.<p>

It was very nearly the right time to set the plan into motion and reveal himself. His contract was already signed, but he wanted the perfect moment to return to Monday Night Raw. Months of speculation were about to come to an end.

* * *

><p><em>It's like a vision of love that seems to be true . . . In the night, I dream of love so true . . .<em>

Lola couldn't seem to get that song out of her head. Normally, she didn't mind it so much, but that was her song to Vince, and she missed him desperately. It had been playing, blaring, really, in one of the pubs she'd strolled past after the show had finished. She felt cut off from her usual network of people, and even the wrestlers she felt she could talk to didn't know she was a part of the tour. Only John Laurinaitis knew she was there. The fewer people that knew her location, the better.

She missed being able to get online at all hours. Social networks were probably the only way she could socialise without compromising her anonymity. It was too bad her internet connection was so spotty recently. But she was also very busy with work, what with all the moving around she was doing these days. Staying off of Twitter, especially, was a bit of a challenge, and she missed chatting with people online; however, it was necessary so she wouldn't let slip some bit of information about . . . well, anything, really.

_No spoilers, darlings!_ was what she would coyly say whenever someone asked about how things were going and what her plans were for the evening. They all thought it was some silly little joke, that it was merely a role she was playing online. It had helped that she shared her twitter account with someone who was in on the truth. But her decoy tweeter was taking a break herself this week, as well. Perhaps she was taking some time to work on that book she'd mentioned. She would have to give her a call later to see how she was doing.

Lola stretched luxuriously before extricating herself from the warm, soft bed. She'd have to remember this hotel in case Vince ever took her on that romantic trip he'd promised her so many times. He'd promised her a lot of things since that first night she had surrendered to him . . .

_The evening had started off so innocently. Vince was simply going over the roster and asking her which wrestlers she wanted to see in matches against each other and who she would like to see in a main event at upcoming pay-per-view events. They had been sitting so close to each other on the loveseat, just barely touching, shoulders brushing together every so often._

_And then he'd reached over to move her hair back from her face. "Why do you try to hide behind your hair?" he'd gently admonished._

_"I'm not hiding," she had whispered. "I just . . . like wearing it loose." She could hardly admit that she'd started using her hair as a mask after she'd gotten a black eye from a date! Even people that barely knew her were terribly upset at the news that someone had dared cause her physical harm._

_She had looked so sweet, so innocent, that evening that he'd felt he had to kiss her. It was a perfectly chaste peck on the cheek, but when she'd returned the gesture, they both realised there was more there than either of them had been willing to admit. There was no denying the feelings that had slowly blossomed from friendship. _

'She'll only be nineteen next month,' _he had reminded himself. _'And her father will definitely not be happy if he finds out that I kissed his only daughter.' _Tentatively, he had brushed his lips against hers. When she didn't pull away, he grew bolder. Her small moan spurred him on. His hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer, crushing her small frame against his chest. Her fingers raked across his back, clutching at him as though in an attempt to keep from falling over the edge._

_As his lips danced upon her skin, panic set in. She pulled away suddenly. "Vince, wait," she had murmured. She was trying to catch her breath and her eyes wouldn't focus._

_He unwillingly pried himself from her embrace. His vision was cloudy with unspent passion. "What?" he asked, confused. There wasn't enough blood in his brain at the moment, and it took him some time to process what she had said. She had wanted this, had wanted him, he was sure of it. And he was always sure of every undertaking he took._

_"I . . ." She blushed, afraid to tell him. She couldn't even look him in the eye as she began to admit the truth to him. What would he think of her? He was so much older and far more experienced. "I'm still a . . . I haven't . . . I mean I've never . . ."_

_"You've never . . ?" Realisation dawned on him in a flash. She had never. "Oh, this . . ." The idea of being her first intrigued him. Taking her innocence would be an evil thing, no matter how pleasurable it would be, but he was, after all, an evil man. Despite that thought, he didn't want to scare her. "I'll be gentle."_

_Relieved, she had pulled him to her again. She had never let a man touch her the way she let him touch her. He had slowly worked his way down her neck, removing her blouse one button at a time. He had taken things slowly with her, waiting to gauge her reactions, assuring that she enjoyed what he did to her, never pushing her to do something she wasn't comfortable with, never rushing her . . ._

Remembering those early days of their affair, when everything was new, never failed to make her feel better. She was not looking forward to the drudgery of the week's tasks and definitely needed a pick-me-up. If Vince weren't so busy these days meeting with the board, he might have time to take a trip or at least a day's rest. He always worked so hard, yet there were people who complained about what he did. But those were people who knew nothing of what was actually going on nor the reasons for why they did what they were doing.

She couldn't help but worry about him, particularly when she couldn't be there to make sure he was eating well and not working himself to death. He worried over her health, yet he refused to be more careful about his.

He had once told an interviewer that he would have to live forever as he had far too much work to do to stop, even for a moment. Lola had liked that. He really was quite a stubborn man, almost to a fault. But it was one of the things that had drawn her to him. He was just as hard-headed as she was, if not more so. They had the same drive, equal ambitions, and neither would be pushed around. By anyone.

And woe be to any who dared challenge either of them.


	8. Rumours Are Not Facts

'_Ugh, someone should tell all these idiots not to mess with a bitch like me. Don't troll a HEEL if you can't come up with a decent - or at least _coherent _- insult! Calling me a bitch and telling me to kiss your ass shows an utter lack of imagination and intelligence.'_ Lola ruefully mused as she scrolled through her twitter replies. _'It's not like no one has ever called me that before.' _She was more than a little miffed by the need to protect her tweets yet again.

Then she thought better of it. She could simply ignore those pathetic fools who were so desperate for attention. She would not let them get to her. No, they would not get what they wanted from her. She wouldn't even bother blocking them. They wanted attention, but she wouldn't bother responding to such attempts to garner her attention in any way. She would treat them like the insecure dumdums that used to tell her that, if she followed them, they would follow her back.

And that was just what she had done to those who had tried to raise her ire in the past. Nothing. Absolutely nothing had happened to them. They remained the same faceless, nameless, unnoticed little trolls they had been before.

Now that Brock Lesnar was back in a WWE ring, though, she could sit back for once, and let the brute run rampant for a little while. Extreme Rules would be an interesting turn of events . . .

After that, of course, she would go back to directing angry wrestlers towards those she felt needed some . . . down time.

* * *

><p>A pair of hands snaked towards a brand new keyboard. Being under contract was a nice change from working week to week, hoping the next paycheck would be enough to cover the bills that piled up all too quickly. The hands paused mid-air, laced together, then stretched with an audible <em>crack<em>.

Those hands were itching to be put back into action. Unfortunately, they were temporarily on what had been termed a "sabbatical". Too bad, too; these were hands that did better when given something specific to do.

They would simply have to find a way to fill the empty hours somehow.

* * *

><p>Vince made his way to the office he was using for the weekend. He thought about how things had changed in the past year. He'd had Laurinaitis negotiate with Lesnar, who was now attacking Cena in a quest to be the new face of the company. Who knew who he'd go after next? Or what Cena might do after Lesnar was done with him?<p>

CM Punk had been all too ready for a good fight, so Jericho had come back and brought Punk's family into it. And what a fight that had been! There was still more there, of course, and would be until . . .

He and Lola hadn't quite figured out if they wanted to have someone interfere with that feud or simply let them both exhaust themselves. Lola had said she wanted to see them at the point where they were practically ready to kill each other before having someone step in to stop them.

He had to admit that that idea held a certain appeal. But who should be the one to put an end to it all?

* * *

><p>Christian walked down the hotel hallway to his niece's room. He had had a thought that he thought would interest her. At the very least, he could tell her about it and see if she came up with something better.<p>

"Hmm," she hummed after he'd finished speaking. "That could work." She bit her lip. "But I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"Hey, I don't want to see me get hurt again, either," he replied with a reassuring smile. "Just think about it. There could be something I haven't thought of that could be a more . . . interesting . . . twist."

"I'll mention it to Vince. I think he'll go for it."

"Are you planning on being at Extreme Rules?"

"Yeah," she replied slowly. "But I'll be unseen. I don't want to risk crossing paths with the person sending me those bizarre messages."

"Of course. I'll see you there, hon."

"Sure. I was planning on going out afterwards. Do you want to join me?"

"Probably. I'll look for you later."

"Okay. See you later. I should get ready. And so should you," she reminded him.

* * *

><p><em>'Okay, AJ's being kept occupied . . . I hope that's enough to distract her from trying to go out to the ring while Bryan and Sheamus have their match . . . Zack wants a shot at getting revenge on Kane . . .'<em>Lola sighed in frustration. Having a chart on her computer screen so she could tell who to go where was very much like being the anonymous general manager of Monday Night Raw again.

But this was different. It wasn't just Raw that she was controlling. Nearly everything was under her watch now. True, she delegated some responsibilities to managers, but they still had to answer to her. Well, to the Board of Directors, and _they _had to answer to her.

It would not be so long before she and Vince could allow the truth to be told. It had been years since she had been able to be honest. A part of her missed that. Another part of her had become so accustomed to remaining ambiguous and unknown that she wasn't sure she would be able to revert to someone who didn't weave an intricate web of lies and stretched truths.

That was the trouble with wearing such veils. Sometimes, she felt as though she couldn't even remember what the truth was anymore.


	9. The PuppetMistress

_'Haha, there's a twitition to get John Laurinaitis fired. Psht!' _Lola scoffed as she scrolled through her twitter timeline. That there were people that believed that sort of thing might serve to influence her - or those that they thought were in power - made her laugh with derision. If those that signed it had any idea why he actually kept his job as general manager and why he did the things he did in that capacity, they'd want to tear her apart instead. But they could never understand such things or what went on her mind.

And that was why she had to remain anonymous.

There was far too much that went on behind the scenes for any who weren't involved to comprehend _why_ certain things had to be done a particular way and in their own time. It was a thankless job, but someone had to do it. There were many irons in the fire, and how many could tend them all without getting burned in the process?

Vince could handle it, of course, had done from the beginning, but he had needed to slow down or else risk his health. No, she couldn't bear the thought of that. He'd suffered enough for his work already. And if he suffered, the company would suffer along with him.

She loved him too much for her own good, she realised with melancholy. She had been with involved with him for over two years now, and she was well aware that it just wasn't good for her. He might leave her side for weeks at a time, he would never be free to marry her, and there were times that he did things he knew would annoy her just for the sake of irking her, but she loved him all the same.

At least those cryptic messages had ceased once Lesnar had gotten what he wanted, however briefly. Had that been a coincidence? She knew better than to believe in coincidences. It was just too bad he couldn't have been content with the first contract he'd signed. He could have negotiated once he had done what he had been brought in to do. But, no, he had to go and get greedy. Laurinaitis had gone along with it and let him think he would get more, but that was just another part of her plan. She had known that Hunter would never stand for such arrogance in someone who had scarcely returned to the company.

She chuckled in that way she did whenever the puppets danced exactly as she'd wanted when she pulled their strings. It was more of a cackle, really, the kind that might be heard in a horror film in a bygone era. And she did, at times, seem more like a cartoonish villain than the young woman that she was.

CM Punk had offered to take care of whoever it was threatening her, just as he'd been all too eager to do when it had been Wade Barrett that she needed to get out of the way. It seemed like so long ago that Wade had been banished from the Nexus and went to Friday Night SmackDown.

With a sigh, she rubbed her hands together, then began typing rhythmically on her computer. She had to write all of this down. There was so much that no one knew about her, and writing was her only outlet. She had considered hiring a therapist, but she feared she might be medicated or worse. Her life felt like some bizarre telenovela, with strange plot twists and conniving characters that might not be believable to someone who didn't actually know them. Perhaps someday she could turn her musings into a book.

It would have to be sold as fiction, of course, for who would ever believe any of this to be true?


	10. Penny in the Air

"If I lose against Cena on Sunday night, I'm fired?" Laurinaitis was incredulous. How could she betray him like this? "Haven't I done _everything_ you wanted me to do since I've been general manager of both Raw and SmackDown? Didn't I proved my loyalty to you by screwing with Hunter at every turn? Haven't I earned your trust enough to keep my job?"

"Calm down, Johnny," Lola cautioned darkly. "He who can be fired can just as easily be rehired. But he can also _stay_ fired if he's not careful." _'And you're letting the power you have go to your head. How easily you forgot what happens to those whose egos get too big for the ring. But you'll be reminded of all that soon enough.'_ "All you have to do, _Johnny_, is last long enough in the ring to tire Cena out. I know you can handle that. I will take care of the rest."

He immediately stopped. Her face was completely blank, no matter how he scrutinised her. There was such an absence of visible emotion there that it jarred him to the core. He couldn't help but wonder if she even felt any type of emotion. Was her worry over being revealed by some mysterious stalker simply an act to get what she wanted? Or was there even a stalker? He didn't like to think that she was sending those threatening messages to herself, but he couldn't put it past her to pull such a trick.

After all, she'd feuded with her own father to keep anyone from discovering that she was the anonymous Raw General Manager.

"You'll take care of . . . the rest . . . Riiiiiight . . . And what about when Cena doesn't like your plans? What if he refuses to go along with it?"

"When has he ever liked anyone else's plans? And when did what someone else liked or didn't like ever matter to me?"

The stark, unblinking glassiness of her eyes was discomfiting. What sort of sick pleasure did she derive from toying with people's lives like this? What was it that she got out of manipulating people this way? Was this all just a twisted game to her, a way to entertain herself? Did she even _care_ who was affected by her choices?

* * *

><p>Alone in her hotel room in the middle of the night, Lola paced nervously. Things were getting out of hand. <em>'How did I let things get like this?'<em>she wondered. _'It's not nearly as bizarre as when Hunter had taken over managerial duties of Monday Night Raw, but it's still nuts.' _Lesnar had quit when he didn't get every last thing he had demanded; that suited her just fine. He had done what she had wanted him to day, anyway. Paul Heyman was back, however temporarily that might be; Punk was pleased by that, at least.

Then there were those that she felt the company could do without. She'd simply have to let go of a few people, trim the fat, as it were, and make room for those who would know their place and do as they were instructed. And Laurinaitis needed a reminder of just why he held the position that he did.

_'Let them think I'm wicked. Let them think I don't care about anyone else. I do what I do _because_ I care. But I have to do what's right for the future of the company. And I can't lose control. Not now.'_

She stood in front of the window and studied the stars. Her stomach felt tied up in knots. She was no longer as concerned over her own position with the company. The board did as she directed, even when those decisions seemed questionable to them. They knew, however, that she could see the bigger picture and would not lead the company down the wrong path. When it had appeared that she was, she managed to change gears suddenly and steer things in a whole new direction.

It was time for a new direction again. The WWE Universe was expecting a few things to happen. Dirt sheets were reporting false rumours that executives had let get out at opportune times. A few dropped hints here and there had allowed imaginations to run wild, and she had an idea of how to stun everyone.

A smile slowly spread across her face. _'This summer will be fun . . . Even more than the Summer of Punk . . .'_

The Big Show had been fired, but he could earn his place back. He had been with the company for so long, she almost couldn't imagine him not being there. Perhaps some time to rest, and then he could return at a time of his choosing. _'Yes,'_ she decided. _'I'll call the Board in the morning and tell them to have a new contract drawn up for him. As for the others . . . There do need to be enough wrestlers to fill all the shows . . .'_

She pulled up her charts on the computer and sighed. _'_There are some who have expressed displeasure with their contracts . . ._ Who can I let go? And who do I want to bring in? Tag teams. Maybe two or three more proper tag teams and stables per brand. And the Divas could get more time as valets or managers . . . but I'd really prefer to let them fight actual matches than have them be nothing more than eye candy . . .'_

Her BlackBerry beeped loudly, startling her out of her musings. Another message from her anonymous stalker.

_Now that you've gotten what you wanted, do I get what I want?_

"Who the hell are you?" she asked the screen. "What is it you really want from me?"

As if in response, the phone began to ring. She jumped. "Hello?" she answered steadily, hoping this might be good news for once.

"Lola, it's Punk. There's something I think you need to know."


	11. It's All A Ruse

Lola opened the door, dreading what was coming. There was never any good news for her, not since she'd been the anonymous General Manager of Raw. From the sound of his voice a few moments earlier, she knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

Punk pushed his way past her, anger all over his face. He hardly waited for her to close the door again before he began speaking. The sooner he started his grim task, the sooner he'd have it over with. "I saw Vince downstairs. He was with another woman."

She stared at him blankly. This was nothing new to her. "And?"

His eyes widened. "That doesn't bother you? He's cheating on you, and you don't even care?"

"Hell, Punk, _I'm _another woman, remember?" Why did this even matter to him? She kept her voice even but serious. "Vince has had his affairs, and I haven't allowed them to bother me in the past. It's not like he flaunts them in front of me. I've always managed to turn a blind eye to these sorts of things over the past couple of years. So why should it bother me now? Besides, I'm more concerned with Over The Limit right now, anyway. There are . . . things I still need to set in place. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" She pursed her lips to keep them from quivering.

At least, she would let him think it was to keep her lips from quivering with hurt.

He shook his head in disbelief. She couldn't admit that she didn't like what was happening to her; she obviously didn't want to be seen as weak, even in front of him. "You deserve better, you know."

She gave him a sideways glance. "I love him," she replied softly. What had he expected her to say? That she was with Vince for the power and money? "I know it's not good for me, all he puts me through, but I can't help what I feel. I love him," she repeated with a small smile and a shrug.

He grasped her shoulders so he could look her straight in the eyes. He couldn't believe that she meant what she was saying, but her face was inscrutable. "Really? You love him, even with the way he treats you?"

She let out an exasperated breath. "I've been treated worse, Punk, and by men who had nothing to offer me but their abuse. Believe it or not, this is actually the best relationship I've been in. Vince has his affairs, it's true, and I get to run things the way I see fit, without having to double-check everything with him or anyone else. We both get what we want out of this."

"You get what you want? The gifts he gives you, your job . . . Is it really worth living this way? Worth being nothing more than his dirty little secret? Worth being denied the chance to find someone who'll . . . I can't see how you can . . ." He released her suddenly, unable to continue speaking. "You deserve so much better than him," he murmured again.

She ran her fingers through her hair and walked to the mini-fridge. She had to get some distance between them before she said something she shouldn't. Why did he have to have such a way of getting to her? Why did he have to be so damned perceptive? With just a few words, he could provoke a reaction in her like no one else could. "Do you want something to drink?" she offered, inexplicably weary. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to crawl into bed and let sweet oblivion overtake her for a few hours.

"Uh, no, thanks. I think . . . I'll just . . . I should be heading off to bed. Lola . . ." He stopped, unsure of what else to say to her. Surely, she had to know that there were better men in the world, men willing to give her everything she wanted, everything she was worthy of. "I worry about you," he said plainly.

That surprised her. She turned to face him again. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just tired is all." She took a deep breath and tried to smile. "You needn't worry about me so much."

"I can't help it. I've seen you hurt before."

She smiled genuinely this time, thankful to know that somebody cared this much about her. "I know. I'm lucky to have a friend like you. Even if a few people think it's only because you're blackmailing me to get what you want."

He smiled back at her. "Yeah, that's . . ." It wasn't often that he was at a loss for words, but hearing her call him 'a friend' still threw him for a loop. "I'll let you get some rest, then. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Good night, Lola."

She nodded. "Good night, Punk."

Instead of going to sleep, she spent the next hour typing up emails that absolutely needed to go out. She felt as though she were the Phantom of the Opera, dictating what happened without her face being seen. She couldn't stifle a grin. _'The Ringside Ghost has a nice ring to it. So does The Phantom of the Squared Circle. Too bad Vince wouldn't go for that.'_

Then she scoffed, frustrated with herself. If Vince didn't like it, that was tough. He had done his share of things she didn't like since they'd been together. Maybe it was time to show him that she could give as good as she got. She was young. There were plenty of men closer to her own age that found her pretty.

She bit her lip. She just didn't have it in her to cheat, even on him. He was her first, and he would always have a special place in her heart. On the other hand, their relationship was supposed to be a secret, even though a handful of people knew about it. Going on a few casual dates would help maintain that pretence. It had been easy enough to claim that she wasn't interested in seeing anyone because she'd been hurt too many times before. But it had been long enough. It felt like it might be a good time to start flirting again.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Lola awoke alone. The sun was just rising. She had fallen asleep at the desk thinking about what she'd heard just a few hours before. If others wanted to believe that Vince was off carousing, they were free to think whatever they wanted. And they could think what they chose to think about her as well.<p>

It's not like anyone was actually correct in their assumptions about her. If she changed the way she acted around certain people, it would surely be something new. And she could keep everyone guessing that much longer.


	12. Penny in the Air, Part 2

Lola paced back and forth in front of the desk, fidgeting nervously. She couldn't keep still now if her life depended on it. A woman virtually identical to her in appearance, save for their clothes, was rapidly typing something out on Lola's computer; she had a very serious look on her face. Lola let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hands on the smooth wood. The surface was cool to the touch and helped her steady her frazzled nerves.

"Mayv, I still can't believe you did that." She examined the other woman for signs of remorse or regret.

The slightly older woman looked away from the computer screen to stare her doppelgänger blankly in the face. "I know. But I deemed it necessary. I couldn't take not knowing anymore," she explained with a shrug, as though it absolved her of any and all wrong-doing.

"Yeah, but it's such a big . . . " she flailed her hands in front of her face. "How could you not tell me what you were doing?" she asked quietly.

"Because I was worried how you would react. Had I told you from the beginning about this, about what I was planning to do, you probably would have tried to stop me. Wouldn't you? Admit it."

Lola hung her head. "Yeah, you're right. I would have. And I would have told you that it doesn't matter to me, either." She looked up. "You haven't told anyone else about this, right?"

"No, of course not," Mayv replied. "This doesn't concern anyone else, so no one needs to know about this. Any of it. It's just a few well-timed queries to certain persons who I believe have information I need with regards to this particular situation. And I know this really _does_ matter to you. At least no one has any idea as to _why_ I'm researching this; they think it's for a paper I'm writing."

Lola stepped back, a grin teasing the corners of her mouth. She'd thought she'd hidden her curiosity, but Mayv was too perceptive to miss a cue of body language. "So, what have you found out?"

* * *

><p>That evening, Lola couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled John Cena's words just a few days before. He'd prefer the anonymous Raw General Manager, with the annoying beeping sound announcing her emails over John Laurinaitis being in charge? Oh, if he only knew the truth!<p>

But soon, they would all know.

She pursed her lips as she perused the menu. Vince was supposed to meet her, but he was running late, as usual. She'd already ordered appetizers and a bottle of wine. A young man approached her table.

"Pretty lady like you should never have to dine alone," he drawled as he leaned in close to her.

She lifted her eyes up to him without moving her head. "I won't be."

He took that as an invitation and pulled his chair close to hers.

"That was not an invitation," she remarked with a sneer. "I would never dine with a stranger, especially not one as presumptuous as you seem to be," she informed him without looking up from her menu.

"I don't see a ring on your finger. I figured you're prolly lonely," he shrugged.

She set her menu down on the table with a huff. "First of all, there is no such word as _prolly_; if there were, it would mean 'in a prol manner.' Go ahead; define prol if you insist on using such a word. Second of all, lack of a ring is not an indicator that a woman is single, much less available or interested in you."

The young man stuttered, unsure of how to respond. "A-and th-third?"

"Third, I never extended an offer for you to join me. Here's a word of advice: Don't take it upon yourself to invite yourself to join someone. The next person might not be so _nice _as I've been." _'As if I'm ever actually nice,'_ she thought ruefully as she glared at him.

The dejected man silently rose and walked away just as Vince sauntered in. He chuckled when he saw from which direction the boy had come. _'Another one bites the dust. That's my girl.'_

Lola was deep in thought and biting her lower lip as he sat.

"What's wrong?" he asked lightly. "Another would-be suitor get on your nerves?"

She shook her head. "Punk saw you with someone the other night. He thinks . . ." She scoffed. "He thinks you're screwing around on me and that I need . . . protecting . . . from you and your philandering."

Vince laughed derisively. "That's just what I wanted him to think; I knew he was watching me, of course. That woman's a wrestler, just starting out professionally. I was giving her some advice."

She sighed and nodded. "Of course. That's what I thought it might be, but I let Punk think that it bothered me without saying as much. Oh, I ordered bruschetta."

"Great. They have wonderful bread here."

"And I was thinking," she continued. "Maybe I should . . . go on a couple of dates. There's been talk about why I keep turning everyone down."

"Rumours?"

She nodded grimly. "It's not that what they say bothers me much; it's just . . . some have been asking questions and . . ."

"You want to keep them guessing," he surmised. "No wrestlers."

"Of course. I wouldn't compromise my anonymity by hanging out with someone in the company. Or who might one day join the company. I was thinking more along the lines of random guys in whatever city we're in at the time."

"You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course, I will, Vince. And you know my strength and what I can do. And I'll keep it places where there's lots of people. More along the lines of flirting than real dates."

He nodded, apparently mollified. Still, something lingered in the back of his mind, troubling him about the whole situation.

* * *

><p>Mayv clasped her hands together and tapped her chin with the resultant fist. She had already told Lola much of what she already knew, but not everything, not until she was absolutely sure as to the veracity of that information. She was so close to finding out what she wanted to know, but it was still just beyond her grasp. How long would it be before she and Lola finally closed in on the identity of someone who had the potential to drastically change both their lives?<p> 


	13. The Penny Flips Once More

"I still can't believe you fired my puppet," Lola glowered at Vince over her steaming coffee cup. What made it all the worse was what the WWE universe was saying about Laurinaitis. He had been her most loyal minion, even when acting like an arrogant ass making a mad grab for power. And so many people hated him for it. Not that she could blame them, though, for he _had _done her bidding remarkably well.

And Vince knew that, which was precisely why she was so miffed at him for having fired him.

But, she had to admit, seeing that old spark of evil return to his eyes had made her fall in love with him all over again.

"It was necessary for business, my dear," he remarked simply. "You can always rehire him later if you want to."

She pouted at him in her mock-petulant way. In truth, she had been planning just that, but, with Vince giving her his '_permission_' to do so, she would not be going through with that part of her plan. Not yet, anyway. She heaved a weary sigh and shook her head. "No, some things need to change before I rehire anyone. There are things I still need to do in the coming weeks, what with the thousandth broadcast of Monday Night Raw coming up soon. The board wants to bring in past managers to run things each week. Part of me wants to return as the anonymous Raw general manager just to irritate people, but now is not the time for that. We need to choose someone to take over the position by summer's end, someone smart but malleable. Someone we can bend to our will and our will alone. Someone who isn't power hungry or easily flattered by sycophants."

Vince nodded in agreement. Knowing her and how quickly her mind worked, he knew she already had some idea as to just who that person might be. "Who do you have in mind for the position?"

* * *

><p>Mayv stretched out her tired body, willing herself to find more energy to continue the task at hand. Her neck was stiffer than usual after the hours she'd spent hunched over her computer. She stood and walked around the room to rouse herself. <em>'No, I can't fall asleep now! I still need to follow this lead. I'm so close to finding what I need.'<em> She slapped her own face a couple of times to jolt herself awake.

"Okay," she said aloud. "This file from public records is incomplete. The other file I have contains some of the information missing from the first file. And this web page has photographs that might be of our family." She pursed her lips in consternation. If only she could all of this sorted out! Then, and only then, would she permit herself to rest.

She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated with the dead end she felt she'd hit. She simply couldn't understand how one little birth record could be so difficult to find.

* * *

><p>"So that's your plan?" Vince stared back at Lola blankly. "Just bring in some completely unknown person with no history in wrestling, not even as a spectator. And what? Feed the words into that person's ear?" It seemed to be far too simple a plan, considering some of the convoluted ideas she'd had in the past. She was so good at making it seem like there were conspiracies a-plenty, even though it was only one great master plan.<p>

"And why not? It wouldn't be all that different from when I was GM. Anyone else would inspire feelings of hatred, no matter who it was. The audience might bitch and moan that they want to see certain people return, but they'd just turn around and kvetch about it when they get exactly what they ask for. There are some fans who want to see Stephanie return to an on-screen role, but, if she did, I know there would be just as many complaining about nepotism and who they'd prefer to see running the show. No, bringing in someone completely new would be unexpected. With all the former general managers coming in each week, we'll at least get a chance to see who's liked the most and determine what the new general manager should be like once placed in position."

"Maybe I should take a turn at it for a week, too. Being out there, at ringside, was fun," he admitted.

She gazed at him with worry in her eyes. "Vince, every time you're out there, you wind up getting hurt, and I can't stand to see you in danger like that. You were attacked by the Nexus _after_ I agreed to hire them the night you announced me as the new general manager. You got hit by Big-"

He held up a hand to silence her. "And if _you_ were to show up there, you'd probably wind up being kidnapped. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if someone decided to abduct you. That's the whole reason you were anonymous, why you _remain_ anonymous to this day. If I'm there, you can be the mysterious higher power behind the board of directors."

"Higher power?" She arched an eyebrow and gave him that wicked half-smile that seemed to be her family's trademark. "I think it might be time for the announcers to begin receiving emails from the anonymous Raw general manager during shows again."


	14. Nuts, or Just a Little Cracked

Lola hurriedly typed out a rather long and detailed email to the board of directors. AJ was descending further and faster into madness, and it had many members of the WWE roster on edge. She could easily become much more of a threat to everyone around her if she continued on this path.

Although a rampaging superstar normally made her smile, knowing that one of the smallest divas was playing such strange games with three such physically powerful men and setting them against each other gave her reason to pause. Once she'd assessed the situation and seen it play it out for this long, she knew it was not heading anywhere that would end well.

"But not if I don't let things get that far out of hand," Lola murmured to herself. "She might be good for ratings, and she has a decent fan base, but she's not good for business if she's not good for safety." She sighed as she tapped away at her keyboard, wondering if it wasn't too late to save the poor girl from herself.

But what might AJ do when she found out she would have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation?

* * *

><p>"Hey, Punk," Lola greeted lightly as the WWE champion joined her at a corner booth in a nearly empty restaurant.<p>

"Lola," he acknowledged as he took a seat across from her.

"I know you told AJ during Raw that the two of you needed to have a 'serious conversation' later. I was just wondering what that might entail."

He pursed his lips, unsure of what and how much he should say to a woman who held his very career in her perfectly manicured hands.

"The only reason I ask," she continued, "is that I'm worried about her. And about you if you get involved with her. There's something I should tell you, but I need to know you won't pass it along to anyone else."

Punk nodded, but he remained silent until their waiter came to take their order. Then, he went back to staring, stone faced, at the most powerful person in the company.

She stared back blankly. "Look, I just wanted to tell you that I have already emailed the board to tell them of my concerns regarding her . . . mental, as well as emotional, stability and capacity to continue performing in the ring safely. As part of the Wellness Program, she is entitled to a therapist and/or psychiatrist should she have need of one. And I think she does." She waited for his reaction.

He took a long sip of water before responding. "I'll admit that she does seem . . . a bit . . . unhinged lately. Maybe you're right. Maybe she _should_ talk to someone about everything that's happened to her in the past year. After what Daniel Bryan put her through, I wouldn't blame her for going a little crazy."

"True. A friend of mine was in a pretty horrid relationship herself for nearly four years, but she got sick of how badly he was treating her, so she left. She didn't go _that_ nuts afterwards. A little, yes, but not like this. Then again, he wasn't her first love." She shook her head. "As I said, I have expressed my concerns to the board, and they are to schedule a psych evaluation for her. When other members of the roster are concerned for their safety, not to mention hers, something has to be done."

"Yeah," he reluctantly agreed. He wouldn't admit it to Lola, but he actually _did _care about AJ, just maybe not in the way AJ wanted him to. He liked the way she was playful and perky and just a little on the crazy side. But Lola was right; if that craziness had the potential to seriously endanger anyone, it had to be stopped.

But maybe he could make AJ see reason without needing a psychiatrist to get involved.

* * *

><p>"Lola McMahon, how dare you have supper with CM Punk without telling me?" Vince demanded as soon as she walked through the door.<p>

"Relax, Vince, it was about AJ. Nothing more," she replied calmly. If he was calling her by the name she could not legally use, she knew he was terribly upset. And jealous. She would have to tread extremely cautiously until his anger subsided.

He crossed the room to grasp her roughly by the shoulders. "Swear to me that's all you talked about," he growled.

She kept her breathing slow and even. "I swear to you, Vince, our only conversation was about AJ and how insane she's becoming. And that I expressed my concerns to the board of directors."

His grip on her slackened, but he still held her close, examining her face for any hint of betrayal. He couldn't be sure if she was still as faithful to him as she'd been before. He knew that she acted annoyed with Punk, but that her tweets about him showed her admiration for his skills in the ring. He pulled her into his embrace, causing her to gasp.

She pulled away just enough to turn her head so she wasn't suffocating in the solid expanse of his chest. It had been so long since he'd held her this way, as though she belonged to him and only him. If he held her any tighter, she felt she would melt into him completely. It had been so long since he'd acted this jealous over anyone, and she realised with a smile that she had missed this side of him. Her arms encircled him and pulled him even closer to her.

When he heard the kittenish moans coming from her throat, he knew he had no reason to worry about losing her. His lips brushed against hers tentatively as though it were the first time. Her knees gave out from under her, so he lowered them both to the floor and claimed her in a way that left no room for doubt.

She was as completely and utterly his as he was hers.


	15. The Penny Drops

CM Punk and Daniel Bryan conversed backstage after after they had recovered from the shock of being sent flying into a table by a diminutive diva.

"I don't know why she's gone off the deep end like this" Daniel admitted. "Maybe when Big Show rammed into her a few months ago, it caused more damage than anyone realised."

"You think it took that long for her behaviour to change?" Punk shook his head. "Delayed reaction?"

"Look, I'm just worried about her. After that stunt she just pulled on _both_ of us, there's no telling what she might do next. I should go talk to the board-"

"No. I know who you should talk to, and it's not the board."

"Who, then?"

"You know her, actually, just . . . not the way I know her. But she's the one who'll be able to do something about this." He dialled a familiar number on his phone.

The parts of the conversation that Daniel heard only left him more confused.

"Hey, it's me . . . Did you see? Uh-huh . . . No, he's just as . . . But what is there to do? . . . Oh . . . Yeah . . . Yes . . . Okay, see you in a while." He hung up and turned back to the other man. "She's willing to see you and discuss this, but, see, the thing is . . . no one can know about it. _No one_."

Daniel merely nodded. He was unsure of what was going on, but he was willing to take the chance and trust Punk on this. After all, Punk had managed to secure a new contract, was involved in better matches since then, and was the current WWE champion; he obviously had something on someone very important.

* * *

><p>"Punk, Daniel," Lola greeted when they stepped into her office. "Would either of you care for anything? Diet soda? Coffee?" When they both shook their heads, she dismissed her assistant and continued. "I know you're both concerned about AJ; so am I. And, after what she did tonight, I'm going to have to schedule a psychiatric evaluation for her. I had expressed my concerns to the other members of the board of directors the other day, but they opted to wait and see. Why they chose not to act, I don't know. But I do know this: If that little girl continues on this self-destructive path she's on, I will have no choice but to release her."<p>

Daniel was even more confused now. "Wait, you have that kind of authority?"

"I gather Punk didn't tell you. He's good at keeping the secrets that need keeping." Her face was inscrutable. "Yes, in answer to your query, I _do_ wield that kind of authority."

"And Punk's . . . been in league with you all this time," he murmured. It was beginning to make sense to him. Lola had been around wrestlers practically since birth; she knew what the business was like. And she was good at manipulating people, probably much longer than he'd known her. The few times he'd seen her backstage over the past couple of years, she had remained out of anyone's way, but was that part of her strategy? To make it seem like she wasn't doing anything at all when she was, in fact, the one moving every one of them like pieces on a chessboard?

"Daniel, are you all right?" Lola's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. It's just, knowing _you're_ the one making all these decisions," he let out a breath.

"It's quite a surprise, isn't it? Who would ever guess that it's me running things?" she asked coyly. "Now, back to the matter of AJ and her . . . condition. After Show had knocked her down, did you notice any significant changes? No, don't answer now. Just think about it so you can talk to her psychiatrist if need be. There could be questions about what she was like prior to your break-up."

"Hmm," he nodded in agreement. He could recall her seeming more timid, more withdrawn in the weeks after that incident. It was part of what had led him to become so frustrated with her. That, and her incessant clinging to him and her need to be near him at all times, even when it wasn't really appropriate. Oh, yes, he'd tell AJ's psychiatrist about what she'd been like when they were together. He'd explain everything about their ill-conceived relationship.

"I'll make the call in the morning. There's someone I know who might be able to help her. She's treated crazier chicks than AJ, so she should be up to the challenge. And I know her methods are quite effective, _if_ the patient is amenable to treatment. I've never really spoken to her, to AJ, that is. How do the two of you think she'll react to mandatory counselling?"

"You know she's nuts," Daniel stated. "_Everybody_ knows that. Hell, you've seen it, or you wouldn't be worried about her and everyone around her. She's not going to be happy about this. She'll resist, maybe violently, especially since she doesn't like being around other women lately. She could wind up hurting herself just trying to get out of one session."

"If it were a man treating her, she'd just try to do what she'd tried with both of you and with Kane. It all seems like histri- No, I'll leave that for a professional to determine. I don't want to influence her diagnosis in any way. Once Dr. Chalmers speaks with her, she'll decide how best to proceed. If that means," she sighed, unwilling to believe she was about to say it, "If that means having to hospitalise her, so be it. It will be for her own good. But, as I said, Dr. Chalmers has to speak with her first."

CM Punk could only sit back and wonder. He barely even knew AJ, so he couldn't be of much help with her evaluation or any questions the psychiatrist might have about her. He also knew he couldn't risk her taking another shot at him and seriously injuring him before the next pay-per-view. He couldn't afford to be sidelined right now. He had a title to defend, after all.

* * *

><p>Not wanting to stay long enough to arouse suspicion, the two wrestlers left her office. Vince emerged from where he had remained unseen. Lola turned to him and arched an eyebrow as if to ask what he thought of all that he'd just heard.<p>

The wicked smile he gave her spoke volumes. Things were about to get even more interesting, indeed.


	16. You've Been Hornswoggled

_The afternoon of 9 July 2012, some hours before Monday night's broadcast . . ._

Chris Jericho was strolling down the hallway from his hotel room to the elevator when he noticed a familiar brunette head emerge from another doorway. "Lola," he whispered with a smile. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," she agreed. "We haven't really had much of a chance to talk since your return. Not like we used to. How are you liking things since you've been back?"

"It's good, good," he nodded. "It just feels strange knowing you're not the GM anymore." He furrowed his brow. "I never thought anyone would be able to take things over so easily."

Lola snickered. "Yeah, _easily_. Come on, Chris, you know me a little better than that," she murmured cryptically.

He tilted his head and raised his an eyebrow pensively. "That's true. Will you be backstage tonight?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I have to maintain my . . . _anonymity_ . . . for as long as I can."

"Anon - Are you going to resume your old duties tonight?" he asked eagerly.

"Temporarily, yes," she admitted. "Remember when you used to taunt people with what you knew about the GM, way back when?"

"Yeah, drove Edge crazy for a while, didn't it?"

"Meanwhile, he knew it was me all along! Ah, those were good times, pretending to feud with him." Her face darkened suddenly. "No one can know that it's really me. Not yet. I need you to continue to keep this secret. You realise the reappearance of my computer this suddenly, after all these months of _silence_, is going to raise a lot of questions, don't you? And from people who would do better to leave well enough alone."

He merely nodded his head. Seeing that drastic shift in her demeanour was all too familiar to him. He knew how moody she could be, but he was also well aware that she was very cold and calculating. It was better to keep silent and pay close attention when she was like this. Whatever she had in store, he was sure it would be interesting, and all he could do was hold on for the ride.

"Good." She brightened again. "You heading out for lunch?"

He sighed with relief ever so briefly. Her darkness had passed. "Uh, no, gym. I had a really big breakfast this morning and I want to get in a good workout. But I'll get in touch with you before the show? Maybe we could have dinner later tonight."

"Email me. We can't have people knowing who it is you're calling or seeing us together, now, can we?" she added coyly.

As he walked away, her phone beeped. _'Text message received.'_ She grinned when she saw the sender was in amenable to her plans for tonight, not that he knew who it was asking this of him.

Yes, all her puppets were in place. She could keep her anonymity for a while longer - until she was ready to reveal herself properly - and Hornswoggle would get to have some fun while she did.

It was just a matter of time before her plan came to fruition. That was when the rug would be pulled out from underneath someone's feet and the universe would never be the same again.

* * *

><p>Lola read what was being posted online about the night's broadcast. Oh, if they only knew why she stayed in the shadows! Or why she preferred to send in her orders via email.<p>

She had to admit, though, that she'd missed having this level of control over Monday Night Raw. A part of her even missed toying with Teddy Long and the rivalry they'd had when he was GM of Friday Night SmackDown.

But those days were past, and what's past is prologue. She could no sooner return to being the general manager full-time than she could betray Vince McMahon.

She could, however, screw with Jerry Lawler and reverse the referee's decision. Michael Cole had been an effective, if irritating, pawn in her plays, so she felt as though she owed him a little something. Besides, she just couldn't stand the way Lawler leered at all the divas and made all those lewd comments.

This was a PG show, for goodness's sake!

No matter, she could pull some strings and -

What was this? Santino was still searching for the anonymous Raw General Manager? Fine, let him find the GM.

She typed out another email telling Hornswoggle to be ready for what was about to happen, then sent another one to be read aloud by Josh Matthews, reiterating that the former anonymous general manager was not at the arena tonight. And that there was certainly no one hiding underneath the ring. _'That'll give him something to do for about thirty seconds. Better Josh than Michael. Though I'd rather see Scott Stanford at the announcers' table than Cole or Lawler. All in due time.'_

She giggled when she saw Santino get pulled underneath the ring by unseen hands. Hornswoggle being "outed" as the former anonymous general manager of Monday Night Raw would at least buy her some time to finish preparations and -

An email came through to her. It was from the Board of Directors, inquiring as to why Hornswoggle was out there in that capacity.

Lola bit her bottom lip in amusement. She had to choose her next words to the other directors carefully, lest she let slip some bit of information she oughtn't. She rubbed her hands together as she considered each sentence she typed out. She made mention of her continued anonymity being crucial to her own safety, as well as the safety of those around her. She refused to endanger anyone she cared about for the sake of business or to allay any worries the board has in regards to decisions she made that affected the entire WWE Universe.

She also asked that they have a little faith in her as she had never steered them wrong before. After all, it had been she who had alerted them to Hunter Hearst Helmsly's plan to pull a coup d'etat. It had been she who was willing to continue to oversee business even while Triple H was the nominal COO.

And what had she ever asked in return for all she did? Nothing, really. All that she was asking for now was that they continue to listen to what she had to say and remember what she had done for them thus far.

Once the email was sent, she turned her attention back to the action playing out in the ring. She'd missed seeing Eve in a match, but Laurinaitis had been right to choose her for his Executive Assistant. And, after what had happened to Eve at the Great American Bash, Lola felt she owed Eve a chance to vent her frustrations.

Who better to be the brunt of that than AJ, a woman whose own actions were endangering two of the top wrestlers with the company? Lola truly feared for AJ's sanity. First, she flirts with both men, then she pushes them through a table? And then she comes back and proposes to a man who showed his indifference to her time and time again?

'_What the hell is wrong with her?'_ she, along with many others, wondered. _'At least this is good for ratings, but she really does need to have that psychological evaluation soon. If the board will just approve someone to perform that evaluation, she can get the help she needs. Too bad I never got a license to practice, or I could do it. It seems to me to be Histrionic Personality Disorder - inappropriately seductive, particularly in situations where it is uncalled for; forms attachments more quickly than would be otherwise formed by someone who's well-adjusted; loyalties are exceedingly easy to sway.'_

Lola shook her head as the broadcast ended. AJ was about the same age, yet seemed so much younger than her. It wasn't only her appearance, it was her entire attitude. Lola considered simply hiring another wrestler to take AJ out, albeit only for a few weeks. An injury would justify having AJ hospitalised; there, she could undergo the psychological evaluation that was plainly necessary.

"Lola," Vince called as he entered the hotel room.

She jumped, startled. "Vince," she smiled. "I was typing up my thoughts on tonight's show. I guess I got engrossed in it."

"Hmm," he hummed. "Did you - did you get an email from the board tonight?"

"Yes, I did."

"And you replied to it, I take it?"

"Yes, I did."

"Good. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't Hornswoggle who'd sent that message," he winked.

"Oh, Vince. It was a good show tonight, I think."

He nodded. "All that talk of marriage, though, got me thinking."

"Oh?" She didn't dare speak of it, as they'd had that discussion long ago.

"We haven't had an in-ring ceremony in a while, and, while it wouldn't really be legal, I was wondering how you'd feel about . . . . marrying me . . . during a show?"

She blinked up at him, confusion evident on her face. Her mouth moved silently for several moments.

"I know, I know. We've talked about all this already," Vince offered. "But I want to be able to say that I love you without hiding, without worrying about who might hear us."

"You want me to come out of the shadows," she murmured at last. "To bring _us_ out of the shadows and into the light."

They gazed at each other for a few moments, peering into each other's souls.

"Vince," she began, unsure of how to respond. This had certainly thrown her for a loop! "Vince, I love you. You know I do. But, if we're going to do this - have a wedding - I want to do it right. The white gown, the flowers, everything. And that means you'll have to ask my father for my hand." She grinned serenely, already imaging what her floral arrangements would look like.

"Ask . . . You want me to ask Edge for your hand?" He blew out a weary breath. "Edge isn't exactly my biggest fan."

"Of course not. No father thinks any man is good enough for his daughter, especially when he only has _one_ daughter. He's always been protective of me. But Dad is one to see just how much this will mean to me. And I can't imagine my wedding without him there to give me away."

"So, our wedding depends on his approval? I've never needed anyone's approval to do anything!"

Lola held up her hands. "I know, my darling, but I can't deny him that. After all he's done for me throughout my life," she shook her head. "It will show him that you know how important he is in my life, that you sought his permission first. Once he sees that you really do love me, I'm sure he'll say yes. He might make you jump through hoops first . . ." She grinned as her voice trailed off.

"I _could_ ask him on-camera, have people wondering what it is we're talking about and why he seems so upset with me."


	17. If thoughts were money in the bank

_**A/N: I didn't mean for it to take so long before I posted this. I sort of went on a writing spree at Helium and wound up at a loss as to how to present my thoughts on Money in the Bank. I finally decided on this.**_

* * *

><p><em>After MITB<em>

Lola chuckled with malicious delight. It wouldn't have mattered who had won the briefcases, there would be those who whined and complained about it. And she certainly liked to gauge the reactions of the fans to each match and superstar.

She just had to postulate the ideal situations she could arrange now that this event was behind them . . .

It didn't surprise her that Kofi and R-Truth had retained the Tag Team Titles during the pre-show. Hunico and Camacho had the potential for more, but not just yet. There was a good rivalry there, as well as with the Prime Time Players and the duo of Primo and Epico. She hoped to see those contentions continue throughout the summer.

Dolph Ziggler had won the SmackDown ladder match and earned the right to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at any time during the next year. With his sneakiness, that would most assuredly mean that it would be when the champion - at the moment, Sheamus - was at his most vulnerable. Such had been the way in the past, and she expected that it would continue to be so for the duration of professional wrestling's existence.

The Miz had wanted his shot to return to the main event, and so Lola had permitted him to enter the Raw ladder match as a surprise contender. He had done well by her before; if all he wanted as a reward was a new chance, she was happy to give it to him.

Sheamus defeating her old flame, Alberto, was an exquisite moment. She actually wanted to see the Mexican Aristocrat taken down a peg or two. If he were humbled, even temporarily, it could mean changes for his matches. More importantly, he'd be a little less arrogant.

But she wasn't kidding herself. She knew Alberto too well to imagine his arrogance could be so easily subdued.

The most important match of the night for her, of course, was when CM Punk faced Daniel Bryan. She'd had her concerns for AJ's mental stability and whether she could be an impartial referee, but it seemed the talk she'd had with the psychiatrist over the weekend had done her some good.

Hawkins and Reks were getting a chance at some airtime; granted, it was a fodder for Ryback, but at least they were staying in front of the audience.

As for Ryback, if he insisted on being fed more opponents, perhaps he should go up against Big Show soon. That would let them both take out the frustrations they had with a lack of a decent challenge.

She had to admit to being pleasantly surprised with the viciousness the Divas displayed in their three-on-three tag team match. If only the board would realise they could let the women fight without it looking like . . . cat fights or anything other than actual wrestling, the Divas Division wouldn't look so disrespected.

And maybe then they'd stop defecting over to the competition who respected women's wrestling more.

Then there was John Cena. He had competed in his first Money in the Bank ladder match . . . and WON. For someone she hadn't expected much of in this particular match, he'd certainly shocked her with his determination.

Now, they all had to wait to find out exactly when he'd cash in the contract to challenge for the WWE Championship. He was too _noble_ to cash in and pin a weakened opponent, so it was really anyone's guess as to when that day would come. 

* * *

><p><em>Raw<em>

Lola couldn't help but smirk at CM Punk's comments at the start of Monday Night Raw. It had been an interesting time a year ago, when he'd been so set on leaving with the WWE Championship. People had actually accepted what he'd said that summer, bought into his lies, and they continued to eat up every word out of his mouth. She wondered if it was because they were that gullible or if it was just easier to believe than to question.

Either way, it was interesting to observe the crowd's reactions while he spoke. And it was fun to see them get irritated when Big Show interrupted him. Oh, how sad that Big Show had been so close to winning at Money in the Bank when "almost" just doesn't count for much.

You either do or you don't. There is no "I almost won that match." All that matters is whether or not you _actually _win. And that man had been Cena.

Knowing that there was the possibility of Show knocking him out and Cena cashing in for the WWE Championship, Punk had still agreed to the match. He wasn't one to back down from a fight. Ever.

Watching Daniel Bryan propose to AJ had been . . . odd. She only hoped that the girl wouldn't go all bridezilla if she didn't get an absolutely perfect wedding free of snafus. Never, in the entire time she could remember, had an in-ring wedding gone off without a hitch.

On the other hand, those often caused a lot of turmoil, and that was always fun to watch. The aftermath was certainly interesting, and the way others tended to take sides made for new feuds or renewals of old ones.

She was definitely looking forward to what new twists might lie in store . . .


	18. Raw 1000 & 1000 more

"How was that? Was that what you had in mind for tonight?" Punk asked later that night.

"I am pleased," was all she would say. Seeing him so suddenly go from being the fans' beloved champion to walking out to a chorus of boos had certainly left her with a smile on her face.

"AJ becoming Raw General Manager, that couldn't have been your idea, right?"

Lola cast her eyes up at him and grinned sardonically. "Just be prepared for some changes to come along while she's in charge."

He nodded and took his leave. It wasn't much of a shock that Lola was cryptic in her statements. He was, however, surprised to pass The Miz in the hallway. Punk turned and they stared at each other quizzically. "What, uh, what are you doing out this way at this hour?" Punk asked.

"Oh, just out for a . . . midnight stroll," he replied. "By the way, good match tonight."

"Thanks. Congratulations on winning the Intercontinental title." _'There's no way Lola was pleased by that outcome,'_ he thought as he walked away.

Miz scoffed as he stared after Punk. _'If he had any idea what's been going on behind his back, he might not be quite so loyal to the puppet-mistress. At least I actually know where I stand.'_

"How does it feel to be back, Miz?" Lola asked without turning from what she was typing.

"Uh, it's good," he remarked as he shut the door behind him. It was odd to him that she seemed less concerned about secrecy lately. "Look, I know Christian's your uncle, but that match was -"

Lola held up a hand to ask for his silence. "It's fine. You deserved a shot at a title, and the WWE championship match had already been set. Besides, Christian's getting another title shot himself."

"Wait, he didn't . . . lose on purpose, did he?"

"Oh, come now. Are you doubting your own abilities?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He smiled at his own silliness. Of course he'd won on his own merit. "I passed by Punk out in the hallway. He still doesn't know I know about you, does he?"

"No. No one does. Unless you've told anyone." She looked up at him, eerily stone-faced.

He shivered involuntarily.

"If anyone had any idea why Big Show attacked Cena and Punk attacked the Rock, I doubt any of us would be safe anymore," Lola informed him.

"So Show knows?"

"No, not exactly. When Laurinaitis was still the general manager of Raw, Show knew that there was someone John answered to, someone who told him what to do. He just never knew who that person was."

"And he still doesn't," Miz finished. "But you're still relaying messages to him, aren't you?"

"If that's what you want to call it. Since Lesnar's left - at least, until SummerSlam - I need a brute in my corner."

Miz nodded. It made sense. "How does Mr. McMahon feel about all this?" He just had to ask.

"Don't you worry about he feels. That's my job to keep him happy." She smiled dreamily.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll leave you to your . . . plans. Good night, Lola." He stopped at the door. "Oh, and Lola? Be careful."

"Haven't I always been? Good night, Miz." She realised he meant well by his words of caution, but he didn't realise that she was letting slip little bits of information that would gradually lead to her revealing herself to the WWE universe.


	19. Invitation to Disaster

_'Starting off Friday night's show by thanking the peeps for voting for him to face Christian was a nice touch. It riled up the audience. It's almost too bad The Miz is going to have a hell of a time defending that title over the coming weeks,'_ Lola thought. She had been well aware that Christian was going to invoke his rematch clause that night, as well as the fact that Dolph Ziggler was getting anxious to cash in his Money in the Bank contact for the World Heavyweight title.

What she couldn't quite wrap her mind around was what Vince had been thinking when he offered AJ the position of General Manager of Monday Night Raw. It had made sense when he'd explained it to her - something about keeping the crazy chick calm and in check - but, now that she'd had time to think it over, it seemed too much like an invitation to disaster.

Giving Ryback more opponents, though, was for her own amusement. She enjoyed seeing him tear apart other wrestlers with such ruthless abandon. Perhaps she would team him with Mason Ryan one of these days. That would certainly make for an interesting tag team match, but against who, exactly, would they contend?

A part of her definitely wanted to see Ryback face off against Big Show. Two giants trying to rip each other apart would make for a good match. It would keep her entertained, and Show would be mollified by having another place to direct his rage besides Cena.

On the other hand, keeping Cena at bay was fun for her to see, too.

Jinder Mahal walking away from his match against Ryback wasn't what she had expected of him. She had honestly thought he was willing to compete in a proper match. But that was okay; there was a steel cage waiting for him when he was ready for a real challenge.

And maybe the entire roster would learn that you just don't walk away like that without running into some . . . consequences . . .

* * *

><p>Vince was not at all pleased with John Laurinaitis being rehired and showing up at SmackDown so soon. He had to admit, though, that seeing him get Brogue kicked by Sheamus was one of the highlights of his night.<p>

Lola wouldn't be too pleased with that, he knew, which was why he was giving her her space, but she had known the risks her favourite puppet would face upon his return.

He pulled out his phone so he could confer with her. "Hey, it's me. What'd you think of tonight's show?"

"It was good. Sandow's been doing well; he manages to generate plenty of heat whenever he has a mic in his hand. I want to see Drew McIntyre get some decent on-air time next week; he is, after all, the Chosen One. Oh, and we need to make a decision regarding the position of General Manager of SmackDown soon, now that the matter of who's running Monday Night Raw is settled," Lola reminded him.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat. He had no idea how he would react to the suggestion he was planning on making later, but he hoped she would realise that it was a business decision and nothing more. "You're sure you're okay with AJ being General -"

"Vince, it's fine," she sighed. "You explained your reasons just fine for wanting to appoint her to the position. I didn't particularly like the way she _accepted _your offer right in the middle of her _wedding_, but what's done is done and it can't be undone. And she still has to answer to a higher power. So long as she keeps that in her pretty little head, I'm sure we'll do just fine."

_'Fine. She keeps saying fine. Which means she has more planned than what she's telling me.'_ He suddenly felt as though he had no idea what was going on around him.

* * *

><p>"Daniel, how are you?" Lola asked, genuinely concerned for his feelings after the show. What with AJ jilting him and Alberto Del Rio pinning him for the Number One Contender spot, he couldn't have been happy about the week he was having.<p>

And she didn't like it when her puppets were unhappy.

"I'm okay, actually. There's always another match to be won, and I'm sure I'll get more chances at championships later. And thanks for telling me ahead of time what Mr. McMahon had planned. It gave me time to prepare for my little meltdown on Raw. What's next for her?" he asked, the curiosity eating away at him.

"Well, you remember what's happened to the general managers in the past, right? Ah, sometimes I miss the days of the Nexus wreaking havoc," she replied with a wink.

Daniel sat back in his chair and regarded her thoughtfully. He had been one of the NXT rookies who had formed the original Nexus, and they had been a force to reckon with. A new stable would shake things up and cause much uncertainty. He leaned forward and asked, "Who did you have in mind?"


	20. Can You Dig That?

"I want to appoint Booker T as the new general manager of Friday Night SmackDown. Can you dig that, Vince?" Lola asked, the very picture of innocence, complete with fluttering eyelids.

Vince was, for once, at a loss for words. He was all too aware of how manipulative she could be, so he wondered why she was putting on this "sweet little girl" act for him when no one else was around. "Booker? Why him? Why now?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "For the same reason you appointed AJ to run Raw. To shake things up and keep people in check. Right?" she added testily.

He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. She was back to the cold businesswoman. She was getting more and more unpredictable. "Right. You realise, of course, that Cole and Lawler won't be happy about this?"

"I know," she stated plainly. "There are plenty of people who won't be . . . pleased with this news." Her eyes blazed with the anticipation of all the turmoil this would cause. While some would support her decision regarding who the new GM would be, others would be vehemently opposed. Just as they were with the decision about the new general manager of Raw.

He could only marvel at the way her mind worked. He knew she could be scheming and coldly manipulative, but it astounded him at times that she could foresee repercussions before events were even set into motion. That was part of what made her so good at her job. He'd almost wanted her to accept his offer to make her the General Manager of Monday Night Raw again, but she had decided that it would be better to have someone who had never held the position before. Besides, she had said that she had so much more fun overseeing everything.

"Vince? Are you still with me, Vince?"

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts and back to the matter of the shows.

"Yes. I was thinking of something. What about your father? Do you think he might want to return to being a regular on-air presence?"

She tilted her head. "He kinda likes retirement. For now, anyway. Oh, he might be willing to make special appearances now and then, but more than that? If that's what he wanted to do, I'm sure he would've told me."

"Hmm," Vince nodded. He didn't want to bring up the fact that he had yet to discuss the wedding with Edge. If he said yes, Lola would get what she wanted; if he said no . . . Things wouldn't go well for anyone.

Lola was accustomed to getting what she wanted, and she had worked hard enough to be able to get it when she wanted it.

He wanted to give her exactly what she wanted, but he knew he couldn't. What she really wanted was simply impossible, even for him. He hadn't managed to devise a way to pull off such a feat unscathed.

Lola shuffled some papers around until she found what she needed. "Vince, we need to talk about women's wrestling."

"The Divas? What about them?"

"No, Vince, not divas, _women._ Women who wrestle. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is for the fans not to get to see the women on the roster have a decent match? We keep pushing the Be A Star campaign, but we're not exactly giving the girls out there enough role models to look up to, now, are we?" She paused to take a deep breath.

"What are you proposing?"

"Well, more matches for the women to compete in, for starters. Also, I want to see a women's - or divas' - tag team championship. There is currently only one title for them to vie for, and it's not really enough. We have two shows, so why not two titles? Even a mixed tag team title would be something! Did you know that there's a hashtag on twitter? We want divas, it says. They want to see the divas wrestle, not be treated like nothing more than window dressing or flirts seeking attention."

"All right. More time in the ring for the divas to wrestle. Anything else I should tell the rest of the Board?" He was growing weary of this day that seemed to be filled with nothing but her complaints.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Vince. I'm not in the best mood right now, and I'm . . ." She rubbed her forehead briefly. "I don't know what's going on with me. It seems like the slightest provocation sets me on edge."

He leaned forward in his chair. "You've been under a lot of stress lately. I understand that."

"Of course you do. You've been the one who handled all this on your own for so many years. It'd be nice if we could take a couple of days and just get away from it all. But I know we can't."

"Not now, we can't. We'd have to be reachable if we did manage to take off for a day or two."

They gazed at each other wistfully, each hoping they could change the way things were for them, both knowing that wasn't in the cards for them yet.


	21. A Barrage is Coming

Lola was, oddly enough, considering what was going on over at Impact Wrestling. The whole Claire Lynch and AJ thing was bizarre. She had a sinking feeling about it, but she couldn't put her finger on why. It just didn't sit well with her, even though it didn't involve her or WWE.

She tried to shrug it off, but it remained a niggling distraction at the back of her head.

'_I hope Jericho has fun with The Highlight Reel tonight. There's no telling what Ziggler might do. But it should be interesting to watch, no matter what happens.'_ Lola had to admit that she was anxious for the night's events, especially with Wade Barrett so close to returning.

Her thoughts shifted suddenly to Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio's feud. Theft wasn't exactly something that should be tolerated, but how best to handle it? She was sure Booker would have an idea for how reparations should be made, so she sent him an email regarding handling it quickly and expediently.

Satisfied with that suggestion, she considered Ryback's current path of destruction and chuckled. He wanted more opponents in "handicap" matches, so soon, very soon, he would get what he wanted and face four opponents at once. Yes, she would see that they would feed him four.

And as for Lesnar's match against Hunter? Oh, there would be some interference there, even if it was made into a steel cage match.

After all, she had to maintain control over her puppets, even the ones that didn't realise she was pulling their strings.

Another thought struck her, and she decided to take a little stroll to clear her mind.

She bumped into Alberto as soon as she reached the side-walk.

"Buenos días, Lola. Como estas?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

"Estoy bien, gracias. Y tu?" She had too many words coursing through her mind to pay him her full attention.

"Muy a gusto para verte. I am very happy . . . now that I am looking at you," he remarked as he reached for her hand and planted a soft kiss on the back of it.

Lola was caught off guard. She cleared her throat uneasily. "That was, uh, quite some work Sheamus did to your car last week, huh?"

He groaned. "Yes, and he will pay for it, one way or another."

Lola merely nodded. "Stealing isn't really becoming of a champion, is it?"

"Not unless he is the Rated R Superstar, of course," Alberto ceded.

Now she smiled. Even after what had happened between them so many months ago, he could still make her smile.

"I, um, should get going, Alberto. I have . . . an appointment to keep," she exaggerated. She determined that she should keep her distance from the Mexican Aristocrat for a while.

* * *

><p>In a dark café, Lola sat, unnoticed in a corner booth, typing her thoughts out on a small laptop computer:<p>

_Sin Cara versus Cody Rhodes? Rhodes seems to enjoy feuding with masked opponents, and Sin Cara's very popular in Mexico. Could be good._

_Ryback to chase Jinder Mahal? Mahal runs from Ryback, despite Mahal's arrogance. Potential stalker sort of thing. Ryback should get as many opponents as he wants, if he can handle them._

_Kane and Daniel Bryan needs resolution. DB is doing very well playing the unhinged jilted fiancé. He's right, though, that he should get a title shot soon. Buildup to a match at SummerSlam? Night of Champions?_

_AJ needs to be put in her place soon, by someone with experience. Stephanie? Me?_

_Punk. Suggest Miz, Drew McIntyre, or Mason Ryan (feud or team up with). After Triple Threat match at SummerSlam for title, if he loses, prep for move back to SmackDown temporarily. A month or so. If he retains, _

_Tag team division needs some work. More proper teams, not just whoever wants to team up for one or two matches._

_Lesnar versus HHH. Have someone underneath ring? If steel cage, otherwise, someone should run out to distract. Nash? Ryback? Big Show? Cena? Bring up someone from NXT? Or perhaps Reks and Hawkins? They must be frustrated with not getting enough time in the ring, and they are good when allowed to have a match._

_Yoshi Tatsu needs more airtime. Damien Sandow versus Yoshi has gone well, but needs some more fuel to it. Or Sandow versus Zack Ryder. Yoshi and Zack tag team?_

_Wade Barrett. His return is imminent. Needs a decent feud for his return._

With her musings sorted and her wishes sent to the Board of Directors, she shut down her computer and sat back to enjoy her hazelnut latte.


	22. The Time for Talk

At the start of Monday Night Raw, there was no talk, just a match. CM Punk took a beating at the hands of the Big Show. It had been painful to watch. In the end, though, Daniel Bryan had run out to distract Show and save Punk further punishment.

They all had to be in good shape for their triple threat match at SummerSlam, of course, and needed to conserve their energy.

John Cena, being the honourable man that he was, stopped Bryan from seriously harming Punk with his No lock, just as they all had known he would.

What Lola hadn't been very pleased about was the way AJ had thrown the four into a tag team match. She was starting to act a bit too much like Teddy Long for her own good.

On the other hand, she _did _make Ryback JTG's opponent when JTG was complaining about not getting enough airtime . . .

And Daniel and Punk seeming to feud kept anyone from guessing at the truth.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I lost! Come on, you going to give me a rematch, right?" Chris Jericho was still livid after his impromptu triple threat match against Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. The outcome had left a foul taste in his mouth. Or maybe that was Ziggler's hair gel.<p>

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Lola asked flatly.

"It . . . No. No, I'm not," he admitted. "But I _do _want to face The Miz again. And soon."

"I think that can be arranged. I had wanted CM Punk to face him after he was done with Cena, but, after what I saw tonight . . . Yes, I think you will face Miz again. Do you want a shot at the Intercontinental Title, too?"

He chuckled. "Ah, I gotta tell ya, Lola, I miss the days when you were the Raw GM."

She returned his smile. "So do I. But now I have more control. Oh, if you run into Barrett, let me know. I . . . just let me know if he says anything . . . interesting, huh?"

"Will do." He could only guess as to what she had in store for the Englishman.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Vince joined Lola so they could talk.<p>

"Thank you, Vince," she began.

"For what, my sweet?"

It felt strange to her that he had started calling her cute little pet names lately. "The Divas matches, of course. They've been good. I'm glad to see the board listened."

"Well, three hours to fill . . ." he explained.

"Ri-i-i-ight . . . What about what I said about a Divas Tag Team title? Did you talk to the rest of the board about that?"

"I mentioned it. They're considering the possibility."

Lola nodded silently, then murmured that she had liked seeing Rowdy Roddy Piper. "A lot of the fans, myself included, enjoy being reminded of the Attitude Era and little hints of it coming back. They like the surprises."

"Yes, as do I. But we have to bring that back slowly. The pay-per-view events are a good place to start easing things back to PG-14."

Lola smiled fully now. "Just what I was thinking. We could bring in a few unstable elements to shake things up again at SummerSlam."

"Lesnar's a . . . an unstable element, you know. So is Heyman," he reminded her.

She stifled the expression that threatened to spread across her face. "Yes, I know. But so is AJ. At least Lesnar knows what he's doing."

Vince cleared his throat. "Point taken."

"Have you heard anything on Shawn's condition?"

"He's still being checked. He doesn't want Hunter anywhere near him. Not that I can blame him for feeling that way."

"Nor can I. But I _did _say I wanted more brutality in the ring. Oh, and Jericho wants to face The Miz again."

"How does The Miz feel about that?"

She shrugged with one shoulder. "I talked to him about it, and he's not too keen on having to defend his title any time soon . . . which makes me want to see him do so all the more."

"And Punk? What do you want to see next for him?" He'd made no secret of his displeasure over the WWE Champion's disrespect towards Cena tonight.

"Oh, after the way Cena acted tonight, I want to see them face off again _before _SummerSlam. Hell, Vince, I want -"

"I know. You want to see a good and physical match. Speaking of which, what do you propose we do about Sheamus and Del Rio?"

"I think they should still have a title match at SummerSlam."

"Really? After what Del Rio did to Sheamus at SmackDown?"

Lola's face was inscrutable. "Yes. After what Sheamus did to Alberto's car, he should have to defend his title. Unless you'd prefer Alberto go ahead and file charges of theft and destruction of personal property?"


	23. Respect and Trust

_**A/N: It's been a while, I know. I've been rather busy working on my book (a bizarre sort of horror-romance-angsty type of story), which is why I'm just now posting new chapters to my fanfiction. That's also why I haven't tweeted much lately.**_

_**Sometimes, it helps to just unplug and get back inside my own thoughts for a while.**_

* * *

><p><em>Afternoon, a few hours before Monday Night Raw<em>

Lola was strolling backstage, surreptitiously checking on things while she chatted on the phone with Mayv. ". . . Okay, so that's all you could find?"

"Yeah, I'd hoped I could tell you more, but that was it. The record just . . . stops. There's no mention of her after she left New York state. All I can think is that she changed her name around that time and left her old life behind."

"Hmm. That's kinda crazy, though, to just pick up and -"

AJ stepped in front of her suddenly, a strange expression on her face.

"Hi, AJ. Excuse me. So, anyway, Mayv, maybe there's a -" She tried stepping around AJ, but she moved to block her path again. "I'm going to have to call you back," she slowly informed Mayv. "Is something the matter, _Ms. General Manager_?" she sneered.

"What did you say?" she asked testily.

Lola was confused. "What? I was talking to my cousin. Why should that concern you?"

"What did you say to her? About _me_?" she demanded.

"What makes you think we were talking about you?" Lola scoffed. "You've got some ego, you know that?" She turned to go in another direction, but AJ reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her velocitous extramuralisation.

"I _heard_ what you were saying. I didn't like it."

Lola had just about had enough. "Am I supposed to care what you do or don't like? I am well aware that you don't like hearing the word CRAZY spoken in your presence, even on the rare occasion that it's not applied to you!" She wrenched her arm away and began walking, backwards, from the other woman.

"You'd better be careful, Lola," AJ warned. "You never know when something crazy might come _your_ way."

"And what could you ever do to me? I'm not a member of the WWE roster. You can't damage my career or attack me like you've attacked Vickie. I think _you'd_ better be careful; you never know when you might be replaced. Get some professional help, hmm? It's doing _wonders_ for Daniel Bryan after what you put him through, don't you think?"

Lola turned on her heel and dialled a number on her phone. "Hey . . . yeah, it's me . . . Is it okay if I come over? I need your help."

* * *

><p>"Say it," CM Punk commanded. "Say I'm the best in the world."<p>

The person he had pressed against a wall inhaled sharply - no easy feat when he gripped that person so tightly. But he _would_ hear those words out of that mouth. He applied the slightest extra bit of pressure to one already aching shoulder.

"You . . ." came the start of a whisper. "You're . . . the besssst . . . in the world, Punk . . . The Best," Lola finally complied.

He unceremoniously released her and allowed her to fall, in a heap, to the floor. She glared up at him as she adjusted her nightgown. "You happy now? Did you hear what you needed to hear? Lawler refused, but you still had to hear it from someone?" She took a deep breath to steady herself. "You _are_ the best wrestler in the world," she admitted again. "But _I_, you'll remember, am the woman with the plan."

"Yeah, I know," he responded curtly. "Maybe if you'd clue me in on the _whole_ plan, I might be more co-operative."

"That's -" she paused to accept the hand he offered to help her up. "That is why I don't tell you more than I do. If you were privy to everything I have in store, you might not be so inclined to . . . wreak as much havoc as you do. Besides," she gave him a coy grin, "your pipebombs are more exciting when they're unpredictable."

Punk found he couldn't argue with that logic. If she liked him unpredictable, then unpredictable he would be. "And Vince? What does he have to say about all this?"

"You let me worry about Vince and what he says. You just continue doing what you've been doing. I'll take care of the rest."

"And what about AJ? No one's happy with her as GM."

Lola drew a breath and sighed. "I know. She's unstable. And dangerous. When Vince chose to offer the job as Raw General Manager, I honestly thought she'd turn it down. Part of me believed she was still sane enough to realise she wouldn't be able to handle the responsibilities. I had wanted Vickie to take over as GM after SummerSlam. At least she has the experience."

Punk nodded. "You know, I think it's nice that you still get along with your former step-mother. You, uh, you still talk to her much?"

"Yeah, I spoke with her earlier this afternoon."

"So you really are planning on having her become GM of Raw? It seems to me no one'll be happy with her in charge, either."

Lola shook her head. "It won't matter. No matter who's in power, there will always be someone who complains about it. Why do you think I hid behind that computer? And Hornswoggle?"

"I thought it was because you were concerned about The Nexus," he replied. "I mean, that's why you brought me over to Raw - to neutralise the threat Wade Barrett posed to you. Right?" With her, he couldn't be sure what was the truth anymore.

"Yes, it is. That is why I needed you. Back then. And I need you now, but for other reasons." She glanced over at him, wondering yet again just how much she could trust him. "You don't have a huge ego to get in the way of what needs to be done. You have the wit to get on the mic and have the crowd react exactly as you want them to. And you can kick the ass of anyone who crosses you."

"No huge ego. Sure. There's a few people who'd disagree with that."

"You know who you are, what you're capable of. I wouldn't call that 'egotistical' . . . I'd call that . . . aware of one's own strengths." She turned to glance at the clock. "It's late. We both should get some rest."

"Yeah, I guess so. Just one more thing before I go: What do you plan to do about my match at Night of Champions?"

"I wasn't planning anything. You've shown yourself to be more than capable of handling yourself against John Cena on multiple occasions. But if you feel you need help defending your title . . ." She looked away from him, waiting for him to take the bait.

"Of course I don't need help remaining the WWE Champion. I thought, since you're planning on getting rid of AJ anyway, you might want to reverse some of her worse decisions."

She arched an eyebrow. That actually was what she'd had in mind. How could she _not_wish to undo some of the damage inflicted by that deranged child?

She inhaled sharply. "It's not that easy. Your fans want to see you defend and keep your title. Cena's fans want to see him beat the bejeesus out of you and become champion for the umpteenth time. Those that don't either side of that line just want to see a good match."

"Yeah, but I can think of plenty of other wrestlers who they'd like to see me go up against."

Lola held up a hand. "You're right. I _know_ you're right. Me, I'd rather see you and Daniel Bryan in the ring for an hour. You two are so damn well matched that I might never tire of watching the two of you showing your skills. But the time for that will come later. AJ was not supposed to declare who you'd face at Night of Champions. There _was_ going to be a Number One Contendership match to determine who your opponent would be. The 'Board' was going to announce it via email to the announcers. Speaking of which, I think someone should be on their side. Or _by_ their side, I should say. Any idea of who could fill a bodyguard capacity?"

Punk crossed his arms and thought. "There's a few guys I can think of that you should see in action. Facing Kane might not be their first choice as to how they get to show you what they can do . . ."

"But it is necessary. Something has to be done to stop these attacks on the broadcasters."

"I'll drop a few words in the locker room, see who steps up."

"Good. Thank you. It might sound strange coming from you, though, considering what you did to Lawler."

"Trust me" was all he said before walking out the door.


	24. A Phone Call Can Change Things

_During Monday Night Raw_

"Lola? It's Alberto. Did you see?" he murmured into the phone.

"Yes, of course. How is he?"

"They're still testing," his voice cracked.

Lola closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't imagine how Alberto felt.

"That kick - It was meant for me."

"Yes, I know." She huffed softly. "Things are getting out of hand with Booker, too."

"Yes, Booker T is not a good general manager. I just wish the Board would see that!" he spat angrily.

Lola's lip twitched. A very small part of her wished she could admit the truth to him, but a bigger, more rational, part, realised the continued necessity of maintaining her anonymity. She sniffled. "Maybe you should address Booker on air to force him to do something about this hooligan's brutal antics. Closed door meetings so rarely garner real change; it's too easy to reneg on terms. And that Brogue Kick's got to be as dangerous as Randy Orton's punts to the skull."

"They are," he admitted. "That vibora is going to pay for what he's done, too; just you wait and see. But first, I will deal with Sheamus. David Otunga has agreed to represent us legally. Oh, y querida?"

"Si, Alberto?"

"Te echo de menos mucho."

Her heart skipped a beat. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she missed him, too.

Vince would not be pleased if he knew about this phone call.


	25. Something Screwy?

_3 September 2012_

Alberto called Lola twice more that night to update her on Ricardo's condition and vent his worried frustration. She wanted to allay his fears and tell him Ricardo would have the best doctors, but that would mean admitting she controlled the Board through Vince.

And she couldn't tell Alberto that without buying his silence. Ex-boyfriend or not, he was an astute businessman who wasn't above blackmail.

Just as she ended that final call, Vince walked in on her. She gasped in surprise. "Vince! I wasn't expecting to see you tonight."

He merely grunted. A look of pure lust was in his eyes. He approached her as a wolf stalks his prey.

It was a look she knew all too well. Her eyes widened in terror as she rose and circled him. How long could she avoid those clawing hands?

They danced around in each other, advancing and retreating, until Lola allowed herself to be caught. Surrender was so sweet when it was on her terms . . .

A few hours later, Vince was sated. But something weighed on his mind, keeping him from succumbing to sleep's hold.

"Who was that you were talking to when I came in?" he asked casually.

Too exhausted to be coy, she sleepily admitted, "Alberto Del Rio." She let out a yawn. "He needed someone to talk to because he was worried about Ricardo."

"Hmph." This would not do. His girl would not be a shoulder for another man to lean on. It didn't matter if he wanted a friend in a time of crisis!

"Hmm . . ." she hummed as she drifted off to the land of dreams.

* * *

><p><em>9 September 2012<em>

"Vince, since we'll be in Montreal, are you planning on going out to the ring?" Lola asked over Sunday breakfast.

"I might be," he replied slowly over his newspaper. "Any reason you ask?"

"Just curious." She typed a few words on her laptop, then paused to sip her apple juice. She let out a happy sigh as she gazed out at the view the balcony afforded them. "It's beautiful here, Vince. Thank you for bringing me along."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, Lola." He regarded her over the rims of his glasses. He could tell what was going through her head. "You think I should head out there to address Bret if he mentions the Screwjob."

She lifted a shoulder and tilted her head but said nothing more on the subject. They spent several minutes in silence.

"What about AJ?" he asked, trying to provoke a reaction.

Her gaze darkened. She turned her face away from him and studied the view again. _One, two, three._ She counted out the seconds as she took a deep breath. _Three, two, one._ She slowly exhaled. Attending anger management with Daniel Bryan and Kane had some advantages besides making sure they didn't kill each other or the other patients.

"I ran into her a couple of weeks ago when I was backstage. I'd been talking to Mayv, but . . . AJ thought we were talking about her. Girl's paranoid or something, flying off the handle with her assumptions." She shook her head.

"Did she threaten you?" he asked, suddenly concerned for Lola's safety again.

"Not . . . not exactly. She . . ." Lola frowned, attempted to recall exactly what was said. "Mayv had told me her great-great-grandmother just sort of disappeared from records . . . not long before _my_ great-great -grandmother showed up in Ontario. I had said something about that being crazy - that she'd just left her old life behind so suddenly and without a word. AJ happened to hear that and -"

"She got upset," he concluded.

"Yeah. And you know how I feel about her. I told her she should try some therapy since it's doing wonders for Daniel Bryan, especially after what she's put him through." She heaved another sigh and shook her head. "She told me I should be careful, that I never knew when something _crazy_ might happen to me."

"What'd you say to that?" he asked, intrigued.

Her lips quirked into a half-smile. "I reminded her that she should be careful because she never knew when she might suddenly find herself removed from the position of Raw GM. I walked away before she could say anything else."

Vince chuckled. His girl could certainly get into someone's head and stir up trouble!

"How does Vickie figure into all of this?"

"Well . . . You know my former step-mother doesn't like anyone messing with her kids . . ." She winked at him.

"Lola . . . You always get what you want, don't you?"

"Hm, I _am_ the daughter of the Master Manipulator, remember?"


	26. More Phone Calls

_24 September 2012_

"How _dare _you say such things at the start of Raw?! This is a PG show!"

CM Punk scoffed, then spoke slowly and deliberately into his phone. "I will say whatever I damn. Well. Please. Or would you prefer I start talking about what's been going on between you and Vince McMahon?"

Lola remained silent.

"That's what I thought. Besides, if I can throw AJ off-balance like this, it's going to be that much easier for you to have her declared unfit as a general manager."

"You . . . you don't get it, do you? I don't just want to fire her. I want to have her declared mentally unstable and then have her locked away in an insane asylum. I want her somewhere that she can't go down on someone to get the attention she so desperately craves."

Punk drew a breath when he realised the source of this vendetta. "So this is what this is about? Vince?"

Lola sighed dejectedly. "You know as well as I do how much of a wandering . . . eye . . . he has. And you know _better _than I do what AJ's willing to do to get what she wants."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Listen . . . The truth about what I said earlier . . . Nothing's actually happened between me and AJ. She has this whole relationship built up in her head. Those text messages talk about things that I didn't do, but that she remembers. You're right to be so worried."

But Lola wasn't worried. She was planning.

* * *

><p>Dr. Shelby made a phone call of his own. "Things between Kane and Daniel Bryan are going well. They'll soon act like perfectly docile little goats. Ms. AJ Lee won't care much for that when matches are, instead, hugfests and the fans begin complaining more and more. Would you like me to work with anyone else on this matter? No, I suppose you're right. This has been unsettling enough to see. Their passive-aggressive arguments will be escalating soon. I have just the fodder to fuel their bickering. Yes. Yes, of course. I will keep an eye on AJ. No! I keep her at arm's length. I don't let her touch me. If she tries, I remind her that my license could be revoked. Yes. I will call you tomorrow morning and let you know what happens tonight."<p>

He had to admit to being pleased with the way things were developing.


	27. Tension's Building

_Backstage, Monday Night Raw, prior to broadcast, 24 September 2012_

Lola was strolling backstage, chatting with camera operators, surreptitiously ensuring that there were cameras everywhere they were needed.

Once she was alone again, she stretched uncomfortably. She couldn't understand why her back had felt so tense lately or why she couldn't shake this feeling of anxiety she'd had for the past couple of weeks.

Something wasn't right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She hadn't had much time with Vince the past few weeks, that was true, but he'd had business to attend to that hadn't required her immediate and intimate attention.

It was kind of nice for her to have a little break from all the stress of work, she had to admit. Not that she'd ever tell Vince any of that, of course, but -

No, there _was_ something wrong, something that -

"Something wrong, Lola?" Ryback's gruff voice cut into her thoughts, causing her to jump slightly.

"N- well, it's my back," she confessed. "It's like something's out of alignment." She shrugged. "I should see a chiropractor soon."

"Or I could stretch it out for you, work the kinks out," he offered.

"Yeah?" She had no doubt of his strength, but she wondered if she'd still be able to walk when he was done.

"Yeah. An old girlfriend of mine had back problems. I'd sort of . . . hug the stiffness out of her."

"Well, it's worth a try. Nothing else I've done has worked. Um, facing you or my back to you?"

"Facing me." He placed his arms around her as though he were about to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on her back. "Just relax, take a breath, and go limp. I've got you."

She relaxed as much as she could, knowing he would keep her from collapsing, and inhaled slowly. She liked his cologne.

He gave a sudden squeeze that made her cry out. Another sharp thrust, just a little bit higher, and she moaned, soft and low. She clutched at his shoulders and whispered _more_ when his hands ceased their machinations on her spine. He smiled into her hair before placing his fist squarely into the small of her back and kneading the remaining knots out of it.

Once he'd performed his magic all the way up her stiff body, she felt as limp as cooked fusilli.

* * *

><p><em>Later that night, minutes after Raw went off the air<em>

Daniel Bryan strode into Lola's office without knocking. Formalities be damned, this was too important.

"Daniel," she gasped. "What can I do for you?"

"What's going on between you and Ryback?" he demanded hotly. _'I will not be played for a fool again.'_

"Me and Ryback?" Her face quirked in bemusement.

"I saw the two of you together!" he hissed.

"To- " The incident from earlier that night flashed through her mind. "When he popped my back?"

"Is _that_ what you call it?" he asked with disgust.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's what I'd call it if I had gone to a chiropractor. What would _you_ call working the kinks out of my back?"

He didn't know how to respond to that. He'd been so certain that Ryback's arms around her and Lola's moans had meant . . . He averted his eyes from her scrutinising gaze. "I saw . . . He was holding you. And then he gave Punk that threatening look at the end of Raw. What else was I going to think?"

Lola stared at her hands, lying limp on the desk. "Were . . . Were you . . . _jealous_ . . . of what you thought you saw?" she murmured so softly he almost didn't hear it.

Daniel shrugged slightly. "I . . . don't know." He still wouldn't look at Lola.

She let out a heavy breath. "Daniel?"

"Hm?" he hummed without lifting his head.

"We're friends, right?"

"You and me? Sure, of course."

"So why would seeing me in another man's arms bother you that way? Even though it was nothing?"

He jerked his head up, a quizzical look on his face. "It shouldn't," he admitted. "Maybe I just miss being in a relationship. I don't know. Or maybe it's that you and Ryback wouldn't make a good couple."

She scoffed with a smile. "Yeah. We wouldn't. And no one could take the place of V-" She caught herself. "Of the man I've been with the past couple of years."

"And he's good to you?"

"Remarkably good."

Daniel nodded calmly. "Why the secrecy? Does he work for the company?"

She cleared her throat uneasily. "He, um, occasionally does, but he, uh, stays behind the scenes, mostly."

Daniel realised he'd have to be satisfied with that response. "Just be careful, hm? I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"I will. Thank you. And you'll be careful, too? Vengeful exes are not the best thing for one's career," she cautioned.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. Why not give her a babysitter or something?"

"Hm, that's an interesting idea. I'll suggest that to the board." She smiled deviously.

Daniel chuckled.

AJ's fall from grace would be slow but torturous.


	28. Dance, Puppets!

_1 October 2012_

'_Dance, puppets, dance!'_ Lola thought with a sadistic grin. Daniel Bryan had seen her last week with Ryback, yes, but he had no idea what was actually going on between them.

"_Someone should teach CM Punk that he's not the top dog here," she had murmured up to the hungry brute._

_He had smiled into her hair at that comment. "Yes. _Someone _should. Someone who can take him on in a fair fight."_

_"Someone who can intimidate him, make him submit."_

She prided herself on her ability to plant ideas in men's heads, yet she managed to let them think they were the ones who came up with them.

Punk was getting out of hand, forgetting his place. Or perhaps Paul Heyman was getting more power-hungry. That was apparent in his assertion that he should be named the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw.

No, no, she simply couldn't have that happening. But Vickie wanted that position again, had wanted it since John Laurinaitis's tenure with the company had been in danger.

Lola let out a weary sigh and rubbed at her temples. Vince had informed the Board of Directors of her wish that someone be appointed to oversee AJ's managerial actions. Her assaults on WWE employees simply could not be tolerated.

Nor could her utter insanity when dealing with - well, with anyone.

Unfortunately for AJ, Lola had been watching when she had dismissed her "executive coach," and she was not pleased by that turn of events.

'_Oh, AJ, this will not do. You could have been allowed to continue in your role as manager for a while longer, but, if you won't play by my rules, you won't be playing at all. Oh, no, little girl, this won't do at all. But you _will_ serve a purpose until I no longer have any use for you anymore. Enjoy yourself while you still can, for your freedom will soon be no more.'_

As for CM Punk, he'd already outlived his use as a puppet. His downfall was coming, and he knew it. Why else would he have run from Ryback tonight?

She thought back on the days when Punk had been such a necessity for her. He had done what she'd needed him to do, which was to rid her of the threat Wade Barrett and the Nexus had posed to her safety and her position as the anonymous Raw General Manager.

With that threat gone, she'd made good on her promises to give him title shots.

But it seemed that his ego really was getting the better of him, especially with Heyman in his ear.

It might be time for her to acquaint herself with Paul . . .

Then there was The Miz.

The Miz had been a decent puppet in his days, but he'd also wanted to try his hand at being a movie star. His time away from the ring had slowed his momentum. He was making up for it now, though, with his in-ring talk show.

Lola was shocked out of her reverie by AJ's entrance music. _'Ugh, this twit has made herself the referee of this match? Yeah, that's really fair. Good thing Christopher has already been in touch with the rest of the board about her actions tonight.'_

Ryback. Ryback would be easy enough to maintain control of. He was already protective of her. He had been since he'd met her.

For that matter, so was Drew. It had been good to hear him reassert himself in the ring as The Chosen One. That bit with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal had certainly been . . . different. At least it was memorable, she reasoned to herself.

She wondered if Vince might have had another talk with Drew regarding getting more attention. It felt like something he'd try.

But this stunt AJ was pulling, officiating the match Kane and Daniel Bryan were in versus CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler? It was too much.

And her "outfit" was too little.

What did that deranged little girl think she was doing? Was she trying to take Kelly Kelly's place as the diva who wore the least?

Lola shuddered at that thought. The Divas Division was going to need fresh blood, with women wrestlers and not barbie dolls.


	29. Pinocchio

_After Monday Night Raw's broadcast, 8 October 2012  
><em>  
>"What the hell was that?" Punk bellowed as he burst through the door.<p>

"What was what?" Lola asked innocently. Her face remained inscrutable. She'd been expecting this.

"Like you don't know," he spat. "Ryback! I know you had something to do with him showing up when I was about to hit Vince with the Go To Sleep!"

"You know nothing." _'You should've known better than to have gone and attacked Vince.'_

He stopped, unsure of what to say. He'd been so sure that Ryback had rescued the Chairman of the Board at _her _behest, but maybe she hadn't even known -

'_No,'_ he told himself. _'Nothing happens that she doesn't know about. Either she knew it was coming and didn't stop it, or she set the whole thing up.'_ He took a slow, steady breath. "You didn't send Ryback out there?"

"How could I? I've been here all night," she reminded him flatly.

"Ri-i-i-ight," he remarked slowly. "Because you never control things remotely via phone calls or emails." His voice dripped with venom. He wondered if it was possible she had recruited Ryback into her stable of . . . what were they, exactly? Pawns in her scheme? Disposable toys?

"Was there anything else, Punk?" she asked, her eyebrow raised testily. He really did take too many liberties for his own good.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "How are you going to get Ryback off my back?"

"Me? Get him off your back?" she scoffed. "What's the matter? Can't you handle one man on your own, _Mister Best in the World_? Too bad. I was looking forward to the two of you facing off at Hell in a Cell." She allowed the slightest hint of a pout to form on her face.

His eyes flashed indignantly. "Oh, I can handle him, all right. I just thought you might not want him to get _hurt_. After all, don't you want Cena dealt with?"

She cocked her head slightly, her expression betraying no emotion whatsoever. "If you feel you still have something to prove to John Cena, by all means, name him as your chosen opponent at Hell in a Cell." She narrowed her eyes at him. "But don't expect me to help you after you've spit in my face these last few months," she hissed.

He took a step back even though she'd made no move towards him. Her lack of outbursts were more unnerving than her unmasked anger. He knew how harshly calculating she could be when crossed.

What had he gotten himself into?

He let out the breath he'd been holding. "Lola . . . How can I make this up to you?"

"There is nothing to make up," she enunciated icily. "You've made it crystal clear that you don't need me anymore. You have your championship title, your merchandise, you got a very generous contract. What more could you want?" _'Unless you've found a way to be of further use to me, of course.'_

Punk was speechless for only a moment. "This isn't about what I want. This is about what _you_ want, what you still need me to do."

"And what, pray tell, do I need you to do?"

"You still need me to mess with AJ."

_Damn._ She bit back the words she would've liked to have used. "I thought you enjoyed screwing with that - with her." _'Until I have her declared a threat to herself and others.'_

"I've been doing what you wanted me to do," he admitted. "Whatever it takes, right?"

"Indeed. Whatever it takes. Now, if you'll excuse me, Punk, I have work to do and an early morning looming upon me. Good night."

He nodded and turned to leave. There was nothing more to say tonight.

"Oh, and Punk?" she called before he reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Do get some rest. I wouldn't want to see you at anything less than your _best_."


	30. What is Reality?

_After Monday Night Raw's broadcast, 22 October 2012  
><em>  
>"You <em>know <em>I did not have an affair with AJ Lee!" He was absolutely seething.

"I know. You played your part beautifully, John, but save the denials for the cameras. I know what actually happened, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." He was instantly calmer. "That was just in case anyone was listening. Why do you have it in for her, anyway?"

"No one can hear us in here. Don't worry about that." Lola took a breath before responding to his query. "I like to be in control. While unstable elements make things more . . . interesting . . . that little girl has been putting those around her in danger."

"Did you really have to humiliate her like that? Make her resign so publicly?"

"She brought it on herself, John. Much as Laurinaitis did. Abuse of power will not be tol-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Abuse of power? _You're _talking about abuse of power? You, who pulls everyone's strings just because it suits your whims?" Cena arched an eyebrow at her.

Lola tilted her head in acknowledgement of what he'd said. "I'm not abusing my power any more than Vince McMahon ever has."

Cena chuckled. "Right. I keep forgetting where you actually stand with the company. I still think of you as that little girl in Edge's arms, awestruck by all the superheroes."

She smiled at that memory. It seemed like so long ago.

"But, really, Lola, did you have to name_ Vickie Guerrero_ the - whatever the heck her title is now?"

"Managing Supervisor. It means, oh, face of the WWE, that she will be _supervising_ what goes on at Monday Night Raw while _managing_ my orders to be carried out. Or would you rather I had brought back the laptop?"

* * *

><p><em>Later that night<em>

Vince ran his hands through Lola's dark hair. "I'm sorry the past few weeks were so . . ."

"I know," she murmured. "But you had to do it. Things were getting out of control. You had to reassert your authority." She snuggled closer to him in the large bed.

"_Our _authority. I fulfilled my business duties, but I wound up neglecting my duty to you."

"Duty?" she grinned. "Is _that_ what I am to you?" She rose to straddle his hips. "Your only duty to me, _Mr. McMahon_, is to let me make you happy."

"Oh, you _do _make me happy, Lola. Very happy, indeed," he smiled wickedly up at her.

They were in for a long night. A very long night, indeed.


	31. What are Perceptions?

_Early the next morning_

Lola awoke with a smile on her face for the first time in nearly a month. She hadn't realised just how much she had missed being in Vince McMahon's arms until he'd ravished her the previous afternoon.

She had been railing at him about how tired she was of the way things were going lately, fed up with all the games being played backstage, so he'd called an emergency meeting with the Board of Directors for that evening.

But first, he had to find a way to calm her down. He only knew of one way to accomplish that goal.

Vickie Guerrero had been present at that meeting to alert the Board as to what was going on between AJ and John Cena, among others.

_Allegedly _going on between AJ and several male members of the company, that is.

But it was enough for the Board to take action. AJ had been on shaky ground as it was, and even the tiniest transgression - or even the _hint_ of anything unseemly - would have resulted in her immediate dismissal.

AJ was no longer the General Manager of Monday Night Raw, which made Lola happy, and Vickie was now the Managing Supervisor, which made Vickie - well, it wasn't _quite_ the position she had been aiming for, but it satisfied her.

For now, at least.

Lola stretched luxuriously and moaned.

"Finally awake, Lola?" Vince smirked from the table. "I ordered room service already. Spinach and mushroom omelette topped with cheddar cheese, double helping of hash browns, and whole wheat toast."

Her favourite breakfast. "Thank you, Vince. You know, I'm surprised you're not more . . . _tired_ . . . after last night," she winked.

A primal growl rumbled deep within his throat. The thought of her contented sighs was enough to have him feeling frisky again.

"Breakfast first, tiger, then more jungle play," she teased before heading for the bathroom to freshen up.

He cleared his throat. "Ah, we have quite a bit to take care of today," he reminded her when she joined him at the table.

"Yes, we do. Vickie is already aware of what I want to see happen over the next few weeks." She took a forkful of omelette, then spread jam on a slice of toast. "Ryback is good with having his shot at a PPV."

"What about Cena? I didn't talk to him after the broadcast last night."

"He's . . . a little worried about what this will do to his reputation, how his fans will see him throughout all of this," she admitted.

Vince chuckled. He was all too aware of just how loyal the Cenation was. "But he's still willing to go along with it?"

"Oh, yes. Of course. He is perfectly willing to do what's best for the company. Even if it means he's not exactly the 'white knight' for a while."

"Just so long as he remembers his place." He noticed the time. "We have a meeting with the Board in an hour."

"An hour?" she squeaked. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?!" She began rushing to finish her breakfast.

"Calm down. It's downstairs in the hotel conference room."

She glanced over at him. "Really? You had it moved over here?"

He shrugged. "You needed the rest."

"You're so good to me," she remarked appreciatively. "I still shouldn't dawdle."

Vince sighed with relief. He'd never seen her as upset as she'd been after his bout with CM Punk. Though he knew her anger had stemmed from her worry over him, it had still left him shaken. He'd never seen that fire in her eyes directed at him before.

He would have to make sure it never was again. He'd never let her feel as frustrated as she had gotten in the past month.

Unless it was good for the company, of course.


	32. Pulling Hidden Strings

_After Monday Night Raw 22 October 2012_

"Why? Why do I have to face Ryback at Hell in a Cell?" CM Punk asked flatly.

"Because I wish to see it. Because your fans want to see you in that match and win. Because your detractors want to see someone kick your ass. Or at least give you one hell of a challenge."

"Is Ryback your newest puppet? Is that why he's the one challenging me instead of, say, Daniel Bryan?"

Lola's lip twitched. She couldn't deny that the two of them put on an amazing show when they worked together and that it was good for ratings when they were scheduled to be in the ring. But there were only so many times they could dip into that well before it ran dry.

"Maybe in a couple of months, once he's done with this business with Kane and -" She drew a quick breath. "Stuff."

"What kind of _stuff_?" He eyed her curiously.

"Don't you worry about that. You just concentrate on defending your title."

Punk pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "I've got to admit, I'm not entirely sure I can beat him."

"Of course you can. You know how to get inside someone's head, find his weakness, exploit it, and destroy him."

"And so do you," he acknowledged with a glimmer in his eye. "The audience might bitch and moan about the matches they see and say they'll stop watching, but they keep tuning in. You give them enough to keep their interest piqued."

Lola chuckled. "Yes . . . Oh, they say they want to see a lot of things, but if they got exactly what they wanted, where would the fun be without that anticipation?"

"There's something else I want to know."

"About?"

"Cena and AJ. Who told Vickie about them? Who was her anonymous source?"

Lola merely grinned like the Mona Lisa.

"Oh, come on! Don't give me that cryptic little smirk! Just tell me the truth . . . unless you want me to start telling the truth."

"So, now the threats start again. Between you and J- Ah, no, you go right ahead and say anything you want about me. Who's going to believe you anyway? The WWE Universe thinks Hornswoggle was the one behind the emails. Everyone on Twitter believes I'm nothing more than some fictional character my writer cousin thought up. And all the other wrestlers? Well, they still see me as that little girl in awe of her surroundings. You go right ahead, Punk, and tell the world all you know about me. Then you'll have nothing left to bargain with."

Punk opened his mouth to protest, then shut it when he realised she was right. She had given him everything he'd wanted simply because it had suited her. It had all been a ploy to get him to go along with what she wanted him to do.

"Now, now, Punk," she pouted. "I still need you, so you'll still get what you want. But don't you ever threaten me again, or you'll see exactly how angry I can get."

He nodded mutely. He'd seen that look flash across her face before. "Wh- what about my match against Ryback?"

"I've got an idea. Tell me what you think. How about you ask Vickie to cancel the match? When she says no, go to Vince. He'll say no, too, of course, but it would make some believe that you don't have enough faith in yourself, in your own abilities."

"Huh, it would make me look too scared to face him in the cell."

"Right. Everyone's too excited to see it happen for anyone to even consider calling it off, so it would build up more tension."

"But what if I lose? Ryback's a strong guy. Undefeated so far."

"True. So far, no one has been able to best him in a match. But you're quick. Smart. Crafty. You could tire him out."

"A win by exhaustion?"

"A win is a win, right?"

"So long as I win cleanly."

Lola inhaled slowly before responding. "You don't care about the title anymore?" she asked with wide-eyed surprise.

"I - no, I still care. I just don't want anyone claiming I won by cheating or on a technicality or -" He waved a hand dismissively.

She tilted her head. "Your foot was on the rope that time you lost to John Cena," she reminded him lightly.

"Yeah. What does that have to do with any of this?"

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered it when you mentioned winning cleanly."

He glowered at her. He didn't know what was going through her mind, but he had a sneaking suspicion things were about to get very chaotic.


	33. Denials Sound Like Lies

_20 December 2012_

Lola wondered once again if she were doing the right thing. Calling up members of the NXT roster before the year was out had been the plan for months, but it had happened in an even odder manner than she'd thought it would be.

Factions and alignments were becoming more apparent; the landscape was gradually changing.

But where was this new path leading?

"Lola?" CM Punk's worried voice roused her from her musing.

"Yes?"

"I asked if there was anything going on between you and Ryback?" He tried to keep his face blank, but his eyes betrayed his disapproval.

She shot him a bemused crooked grin. "No, of course there isn't. It's not in me to get involved with every man I meet."

"But getting involved with a _married_ man is?" he asked testily.

"Oh, get off your high horse, Punk. You're not exactly spotless, either."

"You _know _I had nothing to do with Maddox or The Shield!"

She lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, I know," she remarked lightly. "How's your knee?"

"It's -" _'Damn her rapid subject changes.' _"Don't worry about that. I'll be ready for action soon enough."

"Good. As for the rumours about you - and concerning anyone else - I'd suggest you not dignify them with responses. Denials sound like lies."

"Even when it's the truth."

Lola scoffed audibly. "Do you think anyone really cares about what's true? They want interesting, entertaining, something to distract them form their own lives. Which means they'll believe what they choose to believe until it doesn't amuse them anymore."

"And then they move on to the next fad. I know. They're a fickle bunch. But, hey, they've turned on me before, and it'll happen again."

* * *

><p>It was late when Vince McMahon finally returned to Lola's side, but she was still wide awake. He planted a kiss on her forehead and asked why she wasn't in bed.<p>

"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get some work done. It was better than tossing and turning."

"You've hardly slept in a week," he noted softly.

She set her pen down and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, I know. There's just been so much to do these past few weeks. My mind refuses to be silent. Then th-"

All coherent thought left her as he swept her off her feet.


	34. No Days Off

_A/N: I had been posting these chapters on my fanfiction site, but that's gotten to be more trouble than it's worth (haha). It will take me some time to get all that uploaded to FFN (a year and a half's worth of work with this story alone - yikes!)  
>Hope you enjoy where this is headed!<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>23 January 2013<em>**

"Well, it seems I can't take a little time off without such nonsense being broadcast. I mean, honestly, who told Cena to get on the mic and say such ridiculous things? When I find out who it was, that person will be fired. As for The Shield, no, they don't work for CM Punk, or Paul Heyman, or Brad Maddox. The person or persons who attacked Maddox and his cameraman will be dealt with accordingly. I am done hiding behind a computer. I am the Chairwoman of the Board, the former anonymous general manager of Monday Night Raw, and the last person you'd ever want to cross."

The other members of the board held their collective breaths. This was certainly the steely voice they'd heard barking orders at them over the speakerphone.

Mr. McMahon sat beside her, a rather pleased expression on his face.

Ms. Spears eyed each board member in turn. "Mark my words, that was the last time I leave things in your hands. Things must change." She sat and opened a binder. "I have a few ideas in mind. First, of course, is that we need more women wrestlers. And I mean _wrestlers, _not bikini models. We need another Chyna, another Beth Phoenix, women who can believably hold their own in the ring and kick ass like Natalya. We have some good women on the roster, but no one gets to see what they can really _do_. No more anorexic girls with no skills beyond flirting. Clear?"

"Oh, yes, quite clear," they murmured.

"What about Brad Maddox?" Vince asked, fully aware of what her response would be.

"Maddox," she sighed. "Until he's recovered from the assault he and his cameraman suffered, he will be left in peace. Direct inquiries are off-limits for the time being. Once they're both back to full capacity, however, the investigation you began will resume." _'I really don't get paid enough for this,'_ she thought as she shot a glance to her left.

Vince was smirking.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, even if some resented taking orders from such a young girl as she. A few realised it made sense. She had grown up in the business, was aware of what the superstars and divas went through, had a better understanding of booking matches than some who'd been woefully ill-suited for the position of general manager.

Whatever ideas she had, they knew they had to trust her.

* * *

><p>"No more anonymity? Are you sure that's wise?"<p>

"Wise? Oh, Johnny. The board simply needs to know who's really running things. That's something _some_ people need to be reminded of now and then. But no, I'm not completely relinquishing my anonymity. I'm merely . . . putting the rest of the board members in their place. Everyone else knows . . . as much as they need to know."

Cena cleared his throat nervously. "Did you at least have a good vacation?"

"It would have been better were I able to trust that things wouldn't fall apart here while I was away." There was a distinct edge to her tone that he knew was directed at least partly at him.

"Okay, what do you have in store?"

"Get me a diet soda while you're up, will ya, John? What I have in mind will be made clear the night of the Royal Rumble. Just make sure you pay attention."

* * *

><p><em>'Now, who should rush in and interrupt that match? The Miz? Doesn't feel quite right. Cena? Maybe. There's history there with both. Ryback? That . . . could be interesting, considering his feud with Punk not so long ago. Hungry for the championship, Ryback?'<em>

Lola couldn't stifle the chuckle that bubbled within her. This year's Rumble would have royal repercussions!


	35. Things Gone Awry

**11 February 2013** "Lola? How're things going over there?"

"It's all . . . It's strange not having you here." She let out a weary sigh. "How's rehab going?"

"Gruelling. Nothing I can't handle." She could hear him wink over the phone.

"Remember, old man, you need to take it easy now, too."

He chuckled. "So I'll let you be on top more often."

"Naughty," she teased.

"What are you going to do about Heyman?"

"Oh, I have something in mind. It involves Maddox."

The Chairman scoffed. "You really want to keep him around?"

"He still serves a purpose. Besides, he's desperate to keep his job here." She drew a sharp breath. "I'm needed backstage. I'll call you later, love."

Before he could protest, she'd severed the connection. He wondered just what plans she had, not only for Heyman and Maddox, but for all of them.

* * *

><p>Lola stretched her back but stopped when she felt a familiar pair of strong hands on her shoulders. "Hi, Ryback," she greeted without turning. "How's it going?"<p>

He grunted.

"Ah, I see." She whirled to face him. "Look, Ryback . . ."

"No. Don't. You had your reasons for not telling me."

She averted her eyes.

"Whatever they were, I just wanted you to know . . . No hard feelings."

She looked up at him askance. "Really," she murmured flatly.

"I mean, uh, that I understand I had no right to be angry you didn't tell me . . . the truth."

Lola pursed her lips. "Right." She drew the word out like it was a balloon slowly being deflated. "Well, I have a meeting I should get to."

"Of course. There's some - when you have time - things I want to talk to you about."

"Very well. There was something I wished to discuss with you, as well."


	36. Keep Calm and

_'Disaster beyond your imagination could head your way.'_

The barely veiled threat stared at her from her computer screen.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Lola hissed into the silence. This was maddening!

She jumped when a knock sounded at her door.

"Rollins. What can I do for you?"

"I could ask _you_ the same thing. What's happened?"

She shook her head. "It's an email. Like I used to get."

"That was around the last time Lesnar was here, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. But what would he have to gain from threatening me? From attacking Vince? None of this makes any sense!"

He hummed in agreement. "What about Heyman?"

"He - he's satisfied. As far as I know. Did he say anything that might lead you to believe he could be behind this?" She hated to admit it, but it fit.

"There was something . . . He'd do anything to be in power. You know that."

She closed her eyes and smiled grimly at her own folly. "How could I not see it? Punk's out for himself; he's told me so often enough. Why should anybody else be any different?"

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

She lifted a shoulder. "I didn't get where I am by seeing only the good in people. Everyone has a dark side, a wicked side . . . A _selfish_ streak. And they can all too easily be exploited."

"And you're just the woman to do it." He cleared his throat. "No one knows about our . . . meetings, right?"

She scoffed. "No, of course not. You should get going before someone wonders where you are."

"Point taken. I'll see you later tonight?"

She ran her hand along his jawline. "Sure. Just make sure no one notices you sneaking away."

"Always."


	37. Puppetear

**Late afternoon, 5 April 2013**

_'Looks like Maddox and Vickie are getting along all right. Ryback's got his hands full with Mark Henry. But John -'_

"Lola? Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Miz. Yes, of course. What's on your mind?"

He sat across from her in the secluded corner booth. "I have a couple of ideas you might like for WrestleMania."

* * *

><p>Lola had to admit The Miz had some . . . interesting thoughts for Sunday night. Whether it would actually work remained to be seen, but it would be unexpected.<p>

_'Too many damned dirt sheets,'_ she thought with disdain. _'We_ do _need something fresh, though, something, some twist no one would see coming and spoil the surprise. Why do people always try to beat us to the punch, to the reveal? It takes all the fun out of this.'_

She sat at her desk and wrote an email to the board members. Clearly, they couldn't tease hints as to what was coming if they wanted anything to be kept under wraps. No, better to feed false information, a few unfounded rumours planted here and there, even an outright lie or two would help.

The knock at the door interrupted her train of thought. "Ah, John. Come in. Would you like something to drink?"

"Uh, no. Thanks." He took a seat.

"I'm glad you took me up on my invitation."

"Well, you're a difficult woman to say no to," he grinned.

She smiled back. "Oh, Johnny. The truth is . . . I miss the days when you were the general manager of Monday Night Raw."

"I thought you liked having Vickie running things?"

"Oh, I do, I do. I just . . . miss the way things used to be. Before things got so . . . complicated . . ."

Laurinaitis nodded. He missed the way they were, too.


	38. Coffee and Bagels

**19 May 2013, morning, the day of Extreme Rules**

Lola awoke, alone except for a blinding migraine, strangely pleased with what the day promised.

The past five months had felt so surreal; it was nice to be in control of her life again. Not feeling as though she were being pulled in three different directions was the icing on the cake.

Ryback was getting another title shot; that would keep his focus on Cena for the foreseeable future. Jericho had another chance to give Fandango what he had coming, and she hoped he would. Reigns and Rollins seemed poised to strip Team Hell No of their beloved Tag Team titles, and Ambrose was facing Kingston for the United States Championship.

Then there was The Miz, who was eager to wipe the smirk from Cody Rhodes's moustachioed face.

As for the rest, all she wanted was some good, brutal matches to please the crowds.

She swallowed the wave of nausea that threatened to sweep over her and eased her way out of bed.

Much coffee would be needed today.

* * *

><p>Lola was spreading hummus on a perfectly toasted bagel when Daniel Bryan sidled up to her.<p>

"Hello, Daniel. You ready for tonight?"

"Uh, yeah. Of course. What do you have planned?"

"I already told you. And don't worry; all will be as it should be."

Daniel blew out the breath he'd been holding. "I just hope you know what you're doing." He lifted his hands when she raised her eyebrows. "Of course you do. You always do. I should, ah, head for the gym."

She nodded. "Gotta keep limber, right?"


	39. Not a Trifle

**7 June 2013, late at night**

"I really like what you're doing, Daniel. Letting everyone think you're unbalanced and insecure - What better way to make people underestimate you?"

The world's strongest vegan smiled. "Hey, I just borrowed a page from your book. You seem all sweet and innocent, but you're devious. Manipulative. _Conniving._ How _do_ you manage to keep everyone fooled?"

"Oh, come now, Daniel. I don't keep _everyone_ fooled. But I keep enough people guessing to keep anyone from realising the truth."

He nodded. "Lola, what do you think of Ryback?"

Though she turned her head, he caught the blush that crept up her cheeks.

"He's . . . Ryback's a beast. A brute. And I hope he - " She stopped herself from saying anymore.

"You hope he?" he prompted.

She shook her head and grinned.

"Ah. I see. You have plans for him. I should get going. I haven't had dinner yet."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Lola felt the tension melting from her body. Ryback's hands worked such magic on her weary muscles. His lips tickled the nape of her neck.<p>

"What do you have in mind for after Payback?" he whispered.

"Just worry about what happens before then and taking care of Cena that very night. After you win - and you had better win, you beautiful brute - we'll see who wants to challenge you. Perhaps Punk, seeking to reclaim his own former glory, will step up. Let's just take things night by night, match by match for now, hm?"

"So this is your plan? Have me take out whoever crosses you?"

She glanced up at him, a twinkle in her dark eyes. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not as long as you feed me worthy opponents." He moved to kiss her but hesitated. "Vince McMahon?"

"Knows nothing of this. He's so caught up with his own pet projects, I doubt he'd notice if I told him anyway."

"Hmph. I'm not your way of getting revenge on him, am I?"

Lola took a deep breath. "If Vince had done anything that would make me want to seek revenge, I can think of quite a few ways to go about it that would hurt him far more than what's going on between us."

His curiosity was piqued. "Like what?"

"For starters, I could oust him from the Board of Directors. I have some rather embarrassing footage that could be played on the Titantron when he least expects it. There's - I have more on him than he knows."

"I take it those are just the things you're willing to tell me."

"You know I never show all my cards," she winked.

* * *

><p><em>AN: That should be enough for today. I'll put up a few more chapters every Monday and Friday, I think, until we're all caught up on Lola's story. ;-) _


	40. Payback's a -

_A/N: I was going to wait a few days, but I might as well get a chapter or two up when I have the time. The sooner I'm caught up with all of this, the sooner I might be able to write something new._  
>Funny how composing fanfiction can help me with my work ;-)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>17 June 2013, early morning after Payback<strong>

"You. _Lost._" Lola wasn't sure quite what to make of that.

Ryback couldn't meet her scrutinising gaze. Her anger was one thing; her disappointment was another thing entirely.

All hell was going to break loose. No one would be safe.

* * *

><p><strong>17 June 2013, after Raw<strong>

"How could you let that happen?!" Daniel Bryan refused to be still.

Lola let out a huffy breath. "Daniel, it -" She was having trouble finding the words that would not upset him further. If he was going to be angry, she would rather he take it out on his opponents than on her. "Daniel, everyone was . . . concerned . . . for your safety. You were -"

"For _my_ safety?!" he shouted incredulously. "Or Orton's? Hm? Wouldn't want to see your precious golden boy get hurt, right?"

She arched an eyebrow, amused. "Golden, indeed," she murmured. "Sometimes officials . . . Sometimes wrestlers need to be saved from themselves. You are an amazing wrestler, absolutely fantastic . . . But I think . . . Maybe you can . . . get so caught up in the moment . . ."

"What? You think I don't realise when I get injured?" he scoffed.

Lola took a slow, deep breath before speaking again. "I didn't say that. All I meant was that the adrenaline might mask the pain or maybe you're just used to working through it. I am not criticising that." She pressed her lips together briefly. "However, in hindsight, were I still directly running Monday Night Raw, I can't say I would have made a different call."

He stopped his pacing to glare at her. "I want a rematch."

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less from you."


	41. Back with a Vengeance

**19 June 2013, late evening**

"What the hell is going on between you and Ryback?!" a furious Vince McMahon seethed.

She rose from the desk; the letter she was penning could wait. "Bet-"

"How could you do this, Lola? Does our relationship mean so little to you?" he continued to bellow.

"How dare you," she muttered.

"How could you take such a pointless risk? What could you possibly gain by dallying -"

"How. Dare. You." She'd finally had enough of his ranting. "You accuse _me_ of dallying, of taking a risk, but what about you? Hm? How many other women have you been with since we started this? Have you forgotten that I myself am the other woman in your life?"

He stopped and stared at her. For one of the very few times in his life, he was speechless. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pushed her against the wall, and kissed her.

A small whimper escaped her throat.

He pulled back slightly. "You belong to me. Never forget that. I'm not going to lose you." He reclaimed her lips hungrily.

Pinned between the hard wall and the firm man, her body ached for him. "Vince," she whispered. "I need you."

They peeled each other's clothes off as they stumbled towards the bed. Hands wandered, seeking to caress every curve. Lips journeyed, exploring every inch of skin they could taste.

Hours later, the exhausted pair clung to one another.

"Vince?" Lola murmured against his chest. "I've always been yours. Nothing's going to change that."

In the darkness, he smirked. "I know that. I just get worried when you spend so much time -"

She silenced him with a delicate kiss. "It's good you still get jealous. I'd be worried if you didn't."


	42. Risks & Promises

"Why can't I be there, Vince?" Lola asked again flatly.

"Because I can't - I won't risk your safety like that."

She blew out a breath.

"Listen, Lola, I know you want to be there for her, to stick up for your former stepmother but let me handle this."

She gazed up at him, but she didn't see him. She was looking at her past. "She was always there for me when I needed her, even when she didn't have to be. I promised her that, as long as I was here, she would be, too." She sighed in resignation. " Vince, please. Don't let her be humiliated."

"Humiliated? You think that's what - It's an evaluation."

"Laurinaitis," she hissed.

He turned his head. She had a point. "Hey," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll take care of it. You know how much I like Vickie. I'll take care of it."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>8 July 2013, morning<strong>

Lola wiped a tear from her eye.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"I can't be ringside for Vickie's job evaluation. Vince thinks it's too big a risk."

"What if I stayed by your side?" Ryback offered.

Lola shook her head. "No, he's right. It would be dangerous. Someone could attack me again. That's part of why I remained completely anonymous for so long. And, even if you were there, Vin-" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Vickie was always there for me, and I wish I could be there for her tonight."

"I'm sure she'll understand why. She knows you care."

Lola smiled sadly. "Of course she will. She always understands. I just can't bear the thought of her facing this alone."

Ryback nodded. Maybe there was a way to get back into her good graces after all.


	43. Wicked Quirks

**9 July 2013, morning**

Lola rubbed her eyes wearily. _'Maddox. Why Maddox?'_

A knock at the door distracted her from her thoughts.

"Hi. Ryback said you wanted to talk to me?" a confused Alex Riley greeted her.

"Huh? Oh. Right. Yes. I did. I mean, I do. Sorry. I didn't sleep well last night. Come in."

"Before you say anything, Ms. Spears, I have to ask one question: Were you really the anonymous general manager of Monday Night Raw?"

Her lips quirked in the half-grin distinctive of her family. "Yes, Mr. Riley, I was."

He grinned wickedly. "Does that mean you can help me?"

"Why do you think I wanted to see you? You know, I don't think Mr. Maddox has any idea what he's in for since Vince appointed him Raw GM. Well, you've seen how well things go for general managers."

He held up a finger. "I want to be in matches, not just attacking people backstage," he protested.

"Oh, of course. I'm merely suggesting that you . . . remind people that you're, shall we say, itching for a challenge."

The smile returned to his face. "I think I know who the first person will be that I help _remember_ me."

Lola grinned back conspiratorially. "Really?"

"Really."

"Awesome. And I'll see about getting you a match soon. Perhaps against Fandango?"

Alex shrugged casually. "Yeah, sure. I was thinking more al- no, you know better how to go about this. I place myself in your capable hands."

She inclined her head, pleased. It was good to be the puppetmistress.


	44. Disconnected

**12 August 2013, midday**

"Where the hell is Lola?!" a livid Vince McMahon roared.

Vickie Guerrero gulped nervously. "I - I don't know, sir. I tried calling her, but I kept getting disconnected."

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "Do you think she's just left?"

"I hate to say it, but I think she wants to be alone. For a while, anyway. Maybe she just needs to clear her head, get some rest. You know how it is."

He took a deep breath. If Vickie was lying and _had _been in touch with the missing woman, it would not behoove him to yell at her. "If you _do _hear from Lola, tell her . . . Tell her I miss her."

Vickie tilted her head, confused. "I'm sure she knows that. If I get a hold of her, I will tell her."


	45. Questions

_19 August 2013_

At a small sidewalk cafe, Lola smirked at the mayhem she saw being unleashed. _'So this is what happens when I unexpectedly leave things in your hands?'_ she mused snidely. _'Ah, but I won't be back, Vince, until you admit you need me.'_

"More coffee, dearie?" the waitress asked.

"Yes, thank you. And a club sandwich, hold the tomatoes, please," she added with a deceptively warm smile. Her mind was hundreds of miles away with the man she loved, but she was sick and tired of being nothing more than his dirty little secret.

Her phone chimed. Another text message from Vickie. She supposed she should respond. Vickie had enough to worry about.

_I'm OK. Just need some space, time to think. Will email you later._

She hoped that would satisfy her, at least for now.

************************************

Vickie Guerrero sighed in exasperation. Why couldn't Lola just call her back? Or get in touch with Vince? He was making himself sick with worry over her.

_VM misses you. Call him?_

The reply was almost immediate.

_I can't. Not yet. Need to clear my head. Please help him understand._

What else could she say but that she'd try?

**********************************************

"Needed space?! What the hell does that mean?!"

Vickie shrank back from the furious Chairman of the Board. "Sh-she said she needs to clear her head. That's all she told me."

He ran his fingers through his hair. Had he done this? Had he somehow driven her away?

Or worse, was there someone else?


	46. Answers?

"Is this because of your father?"

"No. This was all me. _I_ made the choice." Lola took a deep breath. " I _do _love you, Vince, but loving you is killing me."

Vince McMahon awoke in a cold sweat, her dreamt words echoing in his ears: _Loving you is killing me._

What if that's how she really felt?

* * *

><p>A single tear made its way down her cheek. "I <em>do <em>love you, Vince," she whispered to the moonlight. "But it's killing me."

She knew the sane thing to do was break things off, but she couldn't imagine saying goodbye to him. It was nearly impossible for her to say no to that man.

Still, she realised she deserved better. Oh, he treated her well, there was no denying that, but she wanted to be able to celebrate their love, not leave it relegated to hidden corners and the dark of night.

That her father didn't approve just added to her angst.

Then there was Ryback. He was such a brute, even more so lately, and she adored him. People feared him as much as, if not more than, they feared her.

Ryback could crush their bodies; Lola could crush their souls. What a pair they'd make!

But could she give it up for him? Or was the power she wielded worth the secrecy and emotional turmoil of loving Vince McMahon?

Vince still made her knees weak, but Ryback gave her butterflies. Dark butterflies.

How the devil was she to choose between them?

* * *

><p>"Who is it you miss?"<p>

Lola looked across the table at her father. No matter who she named, he wouldn't like it.

And she couldn't lie to him.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Yes, you do. When you gaze out at the setting sun, who do you wish was with you?"

She shook her head sadly. "That's just it, Dad. I enjoy the silence. I watch the sun as it sets, and my mind grows calm. It's been so long since I was at peace."

"There's your answer. It might do you some good to be single for a while."

"You're just saying that because you're my father," she teased.

* * *

><p><em>'Stay strong,'<em> she commanded herself. _'This is necessary. I have to end things with him. It never should have started in the first place. We were never meant to be together. There are too many complications. Love shouldn't be this hard. No, we can't continue like this. I love him, but I can't love him anymore. He's just going to have to understand that.'_

When the door opened, she had to place a hand on the doorframe to steady herself. Silently, she cursed that man's ability to make her knees go weak.

"Hello, Lola," he greeted coolly.

_'He's still mad at me for leaving like I did. This might be easier than I thought.'_ "Hello, Vince. I think there's a lot we need to talk about."


	47. On The Hunt

_September 2013_ "Hey, it's been a while since I've seen you around. How ya doing, kid?"

"Hi, Dolph. It's good to be back," Lola smiled warmly.

"I take it you've seen what's been going on the past few weeks?"

"Oh, yes. It's all quite, um, interesting."

"Interesting?" he scoffed. "It's lu-"

"Now, Dolph, I'm sure Hunter knows what he's doing. After all, actually firing any and every person who disagrees with him would only serve to alienate fans. Having hard-working, loyal employees pummelled for perceived insubordination - well, it would lead to a lot of frustrated, angry, and very strong people rising up in rebellion. As he's said, repeatedly, he only wants what's best for business."

Dolph stared at her as though she were insane. "How can you say that?" he hissed.

Tilting her head so she could look past his shoulder, she greeted the COO of the WWE.

"Well, it nice to know _someone_ appreciates what I'm doing," Hunter pouted.

* * *

><p>"Did he believe you?"<p>

"How could he not? He has no reason to think I would lie to him."

"I guess you were right: People only see what they want to see."

"Now, about your match at Battleground . . ."

"I refuse to take it easy on him, no matter how you feel about him. He's going to get what's coming to him."

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Right. I just - Make sure you're prepared, huh? You know better than anyone what he's like."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. And I'll be ready for him. The question is if you'll still have my back when all of this is over."

"I always had your back . . . until you turned it on me."

"Oh, come on! Don't -"

"No, no. I know you only did what you felt you needed to do when you did it. And so did I. If an opportunity arises, we have to take it lest we lose it."

* * *

><p><em>October 2013<em>

"I can't believe you used to date that guy," Vickie murmured.

"_You_ can't believe it? I still wonder what I was thinking. Dad told me I shouldn't go out with Alberto, but I didn't listen."

They both shuddered and fell silent.

The younger woman's phone chimed.

"Email?"

Lola nodded as she read. "He's . . . concerned about his match after Hell in a Cell. I don't know why; he won at Battleground." She shook her head. "He does need to be careful, though. He's seen what happens to those who betray me."

***********************************

_'If Paul knew we were working together, he'd try to use her against me. There's no way I can let that happen.'_

He reread the email she'd sent him. It was a good plan. Maybe it was something that had happened before, but it could work again.

They just had to make sure they weren't caught.

* * *

><p>Lola cleared her throat. She couldn't fathom why she felt so nervous around Vince now. There was something different about him since their talk.<p>

"I think I'm going to appear on Raw soon," he announced.

She studied his face. After a moment, she asked if he were sure.

"With everything that's been going on, I have to."

Her shoulders slumped, but she nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right; you always are."

"_Almost_ always," he murmured.

She turned away. It was too painful to admit she understood. "Vince . . . If . . . When you go to Monday Night Raw -" Lola sighed, frustrated that she couldn't find the right words. "It's been the same thing every week, the same matches. And what about The Big Show? After all that Triple H and Stephanie put him through -"

"They were trying to do their jobs," he growled.

She inhaled sharply, held her breath for a moment, and ever so slowly let it out. She would not - _could_ not - let him affect her the way he had before.

At least, not now.

Sufficiently calmed, she tried another tack. "Is it good for business if everyone is afraid to speak? Does it make sense to keep wrestlers from wrestling?" She kept her voice low and steady. "With some stars out with injuries, why not give some of the underutilised wrestlers a chance? Or NXT? Do you realise how popular, I don't know, Paige or Kas-"

"Lola," he interjected. "I know all that. Why do you think I'm going to make an appearance?"

She smiled at that. "I should have realised. Okay, so what do you have planned?"


	48. Wrench

_18 November 2013, the middle of the night_

Lola sat, her elbow on her knee and her cheek propped on her fist, and waited. "Vince, what do we do about . . . all this chaos?"

He smirked. "Nothing."

She leaned forward. "Nothing?"

"No. We let things play out."

"You don't want to throw a wrench into things?"

"Do you really think we need to? The way things are progressing -"

"The chaos could stand to be guided a little," she interjected.

Vince considered this for a moment. "What do you have in mind?"

"I've been thinking about the Divas Championship. What if Tamina got a title shot?"

"She's AJ's best friend. Or whatever they call it. They're close."

A grin spread across Lola's face. "Exactly. What better way to test that loyalty?"

He chuckled. "No matter what happens, one of them will be upset by this."

"Or both. Now, about Evan Bourne . . ."

"Yes?"

"Well, I'd still like to see him team up with Mason Ryan," she admitted sheepishly.

Vince shook his head. When would she let that go? "This again? You know, I'm tempted to toss them together for a week just so you'll stop bringing it up."

"Have I ever asked you for anything long term? I just want to see how they'd do together."

"I'll say this for you, Lola: You certainly know how to get what you want."

Something flickered in her eyes that hadn't been there in far too long.

* * *

><p><em>19 November 2013, breakfast<em>

"Good morning, Ryback," Lola greeted as she took a seat.

"Morning," he replied. "Listen, before we talk about anything else . . . I understand why you cast me aside."

"Excuse me?"

"At least I think I do. And I'm not angry about it anymore."

She blinked several times. "Ry - Ryback . . . I didn't cast you aside. I gave you up. I let you go so you wouldn't feel obligated to me anymore."

"Obligated? I never felt obligated to do anything. I just wanted to be with you."

Lola sighed. "I wanted to be with you, too. But I didn't . . . want to drag you into . . . the mess my life is."

Ryback set his coffee down with a jostle. "Shouldn't that be for me to decide? Y-you _let me go_ after I lost a match. I remember the disappointment in your eyes. You didn't even give me a chance to redeem myself."

"Red- Is that what you thought?" She shook her head. "Do you have any idea what Vince put me through?" She avoided his scrutinising gaze. "I was exhausted, mentally and physically. There was nothing left. Would you still have wanted me that way? Some shadow of myself?"

Ryback took several deep breaths. "I could've helped you through it," he finally murmured.


	49. Falling Apart

_January 2014_

"I need a break. I can't keep doing this."

She sighed. "Your contract isn't up until -"

He glowered. "I know that."

"Hmm." She tilted her head. "You want, what, a couple of weeks off?"

He leaned forward. "Maybe more. I'm burned out. You know what that's like."

"Yes. I know all too well. Let me get this straight: You - one of our most popular wrestlers - want an indeterminate amount of time off to, shall we say, recuperate. I understand your frustration after what happened at Royal Rumble; everyone is upset by that. Do you realise what your absence would mean?"

"What?" He rose, startling her. "That you'll have to give someone else a chance at the spotlight? That someone else will have to step up his game to get -"

"You mean like Daniel Bryan?"

He blinked once, twice, thrice before he realised the simple beauty of it.

"You get to rest. He gets his glory. Who else _would_ it be?"

"But Orton . . ?"

"Wants to be the face of the company. But the fans are the ones who determine that. And you know what they're saying."

"Yes."

* * *

><p>"I admit it's brilliant in its simplicity. What do we say when the inevitable questions arise regarding his absence?"<p>

"Nothing. He doesn't know how much time he'll need. Or he didn't when I talked to him. He might have an idea when he speaks to you. He doesn't want to just take off."

"That would be a breach of his contract. Why doesn't he talk to -"

"Because he wants to keep this quiet. At least not make a big thing of it. It will be conspicuous enough without actually mentioning that he's gone."


	50. Trying

_19 February 2014_

"Even if you're lying, promise me you'll try," Lola asked once more.

CM Punk let out a brief chuckle. "Okay, I promise I will _try_ to be back in time for WrestleMania."

"Thirty?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Thirty," he affirmed. "Even if it's only as a spectator."

"Fair enough. You - you'll be in touch?"

"I shall try."

* * *

><p><em>'He said he'd try. I just hope -'<em>

"Lola, Punk tells me he's willing to come back for WrestleMania. _For you,_" Vince growled.

She gazed up at him blankly. "Did he? Isn't that nice?"

"Nice?! He plans to be gone that long? How -"

"It easily could have been longer. Much longer," she stated. "He simply could've left without so much as a word as to when he might be back. If ever."

The Chairman snorted. "This _sabbatical_ of his is disrupting everything. You realise that."

"Yes. No." She took a deep breath. "It's his fans. Their chants th-"

Vince held up a hand. "I'm tired of this. I'll make a brief statement about this to -"

"To what?" she interjected. "No matter what you say or don't say, it'll still fuel the rumour mill."

"I know that," he replied with a smirk.


	51. The Mind of a PuppetMistress

2 March 2014

_No matter what happens, mayhem will ensue. Chicago will be witness to a turning point._

_If he who must not be named makes an appearance, there will be much cheering. If he doesn't, they might riot. Either way, I win. _

_And if, perchance, _a certain someone _encounters him tomorrow night, he'll kill two birds with one stone. Just as he did a few years ago when the Nexus was still a thorn in my side. _

_He's been a good friend when I needed him. Too bad he left when he did. It would've been nice to be able to talk to him about what's going on now. _

_No matter. _

_I'll just have to figure out all this stuff on my own as I've done before._

_And I'll have to find a way to convince Vince to grant Christian a title shot. His new attitude is fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. _

_I just have to make Vince see it. What the hell do I have to do to get through to that man?_


	52. Breathe Again

_3 March 2014, evening_

Lola watched, terribly pleased by the mayhem unfolding. _'Randal looks good,'_ she thought. _'Huh, never thought I'd be saying that.'_

"Hey, you want another Pepsi?" a voice called from the other room.

Her lips quirked into a small smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks."

And it _was_ nice. He wasn't the only one who'd needed time to rest.

* * *

><p><em>4 March, mid-morning<em>

Lola heaved out a weary breath. "I know. I -" She pulled the phone from her ear for a second. "But . . . If you'd just let me explain . . . No. No, you're right." She glanced up see a pair of concerned eyes fixated on her. "Yes, it was selfish of me to walk away like that. Again . . . Please, please, if we could - Are . . ." A whimper escaped her lips as her face fell.

"What? What did he say?"

She could only shake her head. Her chest was heaving as she fought to maintain her composure.

Her friend squatted down in front of her. "He wouldn't listen. Couldn't understand why you left. Refused to so much as allow you to explain yourself."

She kept shaking her head. "He said he never wants to see me again. He seemed to forget I ended our affair months ago."

CM Punk scoffed. "You still seemed plenty cosy to me."

In that moment, the past few months caught up to her and she felt bereft of any strength. She was too exhausted to pretend she was okay. "You're right. We might not have been _hm-hm_ for a while, but," she sighed, "he could still get to me the way no one else can. Knowing that he wants nothing to do with me . . . I've long since feared this day would come."

He didn't question her choice of words; she was in enough pain. "Hey, you'll get through this," he assured her. "It's not like he was your first -"

He was silenced by the look she shot him.

* * *

><p><em>2:00 AM, 5 March 2014<em>

She had memorised every tile on the floor, each shadow on the ceiling. No matter what she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Counting sheep hadn't worked. Even the thought of warm milk made her sick.

Vince used to make her warm cocoa on nights like this.

She missed that man more than she cared to admit. What was she going to do now? The possibilities were endless, and that frightened her more than any threat she'd faced before.

"No," she whispered to the darkness. "Living without him . . . I've known him far too long -"

A sob stole her breath. "It's over. It's really over. All because of one stupid decision. How could I make such a foolish mistake? No. No. I'll simply have to, have to go to him, beg his forgiveness. Remind him of . . . If nothing else, I have to get -"

The light blinded her.

"Lola. Jeebus." He hadn't expected her to be so broken up by this. He crossed the room to take her in his arms. She struggled against him.

"No, Punk, I -" She fought down the tears and took a deep breath. "I need room to breathe. I need to think -oh! - I have to think about what I'm going to do next. Where I'll go."

He didn't like the sound of that. "Are you saying you might be leaving? How can you walk away from - from - from us?"

She took her time answering. "It's not . . . going to be easy . . . being around the man I love and . . . knowing . . . he . . ." She drew her knees up to her chest.

"It can't be as bad you're making it out to be."

"You didn't hear the way he spoke to me. He sounded - " Her face took on an odd pallor. "There was ice in his voice."

"Vince is anything but cold," he remarked. "If anything, he's -" He clamped a hand over his mouth.

If Vince McMahon had turned cold to Lola Spears, what might he do next?


	53. Cold As Ice

_Late evening, 19 March 2014 - A nearly empty diner_

Vince McMahon cleared his throat. _'What am I doing here?'_ he wondered once more. _'If she can walk away, why can't I?'_

Then he saw her. She was sitting in a corner booth, a pink ribbon tied around her hair, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

She was as beautiful as he'd ever seen her.

When she finally looked over at him, he noticed something different in her eyes. He'd never seen her look like that. His feet moved of their own volition towards her.

"Lola."

"Hello, Vince."

He slid into the seat across from her. Once more, he studied her face.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Yes. Are you?"

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Suddenly, it struck him what had changed about her. There was no fire in her eyes when she looked at him.

Of all the awful things he'd done over the years, this had to be the worst, and he'd never be able to forgive himself if that fire were gone forever.

"Lola, let me explain -"

She held her hands up. "There's nothing to explain. You made yourself clear enough."

There was no pain in her voice, he noticed. No emotion at all.

"I was hurt. This wasn't the first time you _took a vacation_. And, this time, you went with _him_."

She examined her fingernails. "Did you think it was easy?" she murmured so softly, he wasn't sure if he'd heard her or the wind. Her eyes met his, but she didn't see him. "I loved you. I loved you more than I thought I could love anybody. But loving you was killing me. It was destroying me slowly. And I couldn't take not having you - not being the only -" She closed her eyes for a moment. "It was too painful. So, yes, I walked away from - from everything so I could clear my head. I realised several things in that time, as I told you."

"Yes, you did. But I expected you to, well, to come back to me."

"And I would have. It would have been so easy to fall back into your arms. But where would that have left me? Nothing can ever change between us. You're not free. As long as I was yours, I wasn't, either. So I . . . I ran away from you again. To someplace I'd feel safe."

He was speechless. The deadness in her eyes - It _was_ his doing.

He had broken her.

If she would let him, he would be the one to fix her.


End file.
